Reader Responses

Dear Mark,

I hope this finds you well in the midst of a new semester. Thank you so much for finding me on Facebook and for your message. I really appreciate it! I’m so glad to hear that you and Laura connected once she returned to SLU. She was definitely a fantastic student this past summer.

I must be honest, I’ve been meaning to write you for months now…even before meeting Laura. I first heard about The Book of Mev here in El Salvador, four years ago when I was a student at the Casa program. Some of my fellow students were from SLU and were awaiting its release. Luckily, someone sent it down. While I was in the States for the holidays, I finally bought it. Reading The Book of Mev was an experience of healing and empowerment for me. I felt so connected to you and Mev while reading it here in El Salvador, which is such a meaningful place for the both of you. I was comforted and felt more hope in life by the love you and Mev invested in one another. Mev’s poetry and photography inspired me to not be so shy, and to do ‘dare [myself to] invade their lives, steal this moment…’

In February, your book accompanied me while I accompanied a group of Salvadoran families on a journey through parts of Guatemala and southern Mexico. The families are a part of an organization called COFAMIDE, their loved ones have disappeared or have died while migrating North. We visited with migrant shelters, NGOs, church groups and other people who are advocating on behalf of Central American migrants and against the human rights violations occurring in the areas. The family members looked for those who are missing while participating in marches, press conferences, meetings, and demonstrations. I was invited to be the group’s photographer…and I faced many moments of challenge… to be present in such a way- that with hope, captures the essence of a moment, the experience. I definitely felt Mev’s presence with me… in Chiapas …(where I learned she spent time) and other places where people’s stories of injustice and resilience need to be told and seen. At times during the journey, I felt in the middle of nowhere but on the edge of cliff. It was a very liminal state- very much in present reality- but at the same time- completely present in a terrible nightmare of crime, distrust, violence, and darkness. And this finite reality grows day after day just as 500-700 Salvadorans alone leave their country every day. What do we do about this….? How do you stop or at least, lessen such abuse and violence?

During the trip, we spent much of our time driving…I would look out the window and ponder my almost unanswerable questions, and read, read, read The Book of Mev, I found encouragement in your writings, in your stories..in the life you and Mev lived. Despite feeling emotionally overwhelmed from the heaviness of the complexity of the issues at hand and in my daily work as a social worker; I felt a push to be resilient, to endure the reality, to not become harden from it, to hold myself accountable- to hold others to the same accord, to do my best…to hope the best I can, to be as present as I can, to take care of myself so I may be available to care for others, to celebrate life, to live from a source of gratitude,  to love the best I can…these insights of consolation and energy came from reading of the dedicated, creative, hopeful, faithful, love-fill life you and Mev live.

Through and through, your book and stories continue to make an impact on me and are a source of meaning.

Thank you Mark. Truly, thank you.

I will be sure to make it to St. Louis sometime when I’m back in the States. I’d love to meet up!

Here are some links about the trip and photos : http://picasaweb.google.com/home http://www.cofamide.blogspot.com/

Much joy and gratitude to you,

Annie Boyd

Mark,

I am reading The Book of Mev through Dr. Bergman’s senior seminar class at Creighton University. I am incredibly inspired. Thank you for sharing Mev’s story, your story, and the story of so many poor and marginalized that have a voice through your book. The Book of Mev has put words to so many unspoken thoughts and ideas in my heart through Mev’s example and the examples of others that you both came into contact with.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing a marvelous testament of a person who lived out ‘faith that does justice’, and showed us how to love in a deeply real way.

Paz,

Catherine Keating

Senior at Creighton University

by Sara Rendell

I am not sure why, but when I finished reading The Book of Mev, I hugged it.

Maybe my body wanted to be closer to tangible truth.

Maybe I was trying to express my gratitude to Mev and Dr. Chmiel for providing me with an example of pure love; not just in their intertwined spider-web of each other, but also in the way they felt with and fought for the poor.

Maybe I needed to acknowledge that The Book of Mev is more than a book of something; it breaths, cries, moans, and laughs.

I think my hug was a “thank you” for Dr. Chmiel’s honesty in revealing Mev and for Mev’s honesty in her face, gestures, words, and vitality. . . A thank you for a candid depiction of what grief is and does; a thank you for a view of my professor, who seems to draw from an internal fountain of love and understanding, as a human being. A view of him not always knowing how to help Mev or even himself, and not finding the strength to breathe in and out—to be serene while riding a malfunctioning roller coaster.

I think I hugged the book because it is Dr. Chmiel’s choice to transcend his suffering—so unfair, vicious, brutal . . .etc. and to reach out to people as a catalyst for the recognition of human suffering.

I think it was because The Book of Mev was already hugging me that I hugged back.

–Sara is a sophomore at Saint Louis University.

Mark,

I am a senior at Creighton University studying Justice and Peace Studies. I just finished The Book of Mev. It was a most brilliant, touching, and motivating read! One of my favorite books I have ever read. Mev was truly an amazing individual whom we could all emulate for the better. The struggle for social justice is embodied in Mev and inspires me to carry on with austerity and determination. Thank you for sharing your story with such passion and fortitude. The layout and depth of the story is beautiful.

Mev and her work were particularly touching because I am a brain tumor survivor. I was recently at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN for a check-up. I was reading The Book of Mev, and while waiting to hear the results of my MRI scan, I came upon the page(s) where Mev was diagnosed and given her prognosis. It gave me goosebumps.

Thank you, Mark, for your work. If you are ever in Omaha, speaking or visiting Dr. Bergman, let me know. I would love chat over coffee.

Be well,

Sean Kenney

Dear Mark,

My name is Anna Green and I am currently at sophomore at Creighton University. A Senior Seminar class within the “Justice and Peace Studies” Program here was assigned to read The Book of Mev for the duration of the semester. This class is instructed by Dr. Roger Bergman, who knew Mev very well. I, however, am not in that class. I heard from a friend that they were reading this book, thought it sounded interesting, and went to the library to pick it up. Needless to say, I was hooked. Whenever I had free time, I picked up Mev. Before my 8 am class (which I am not a morning person), I would read. It only took me about a week to read this, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Despite her out pouring love for others and energy for life, I had some connections to the book that really caught me off guard.

The first was in the Acknowledgements section of the book. It isn’t very often that I find myself skimming through the long lists of names at the beginning of the book. This time, though, I happened to notice a few. First was Michael Bartz. I attended Nerinx Hall High School in Webster Groves and he was my teacher for four years. He described the community he lived in and his friends from SLU often and with such pride. After telling him that I saw his name in the book, he wrote me a long description of how grateful he was to have spent some of Mev’s last months with her. He wrote, “She was a great photographer and inspirational Catholic feminist. My life is so much better having known and loved her.” I was also taught by Cathy Hartrich who was mentioned in the book. Finally, I saw the name Kate Linden in the acknowledgments. Because I attend Creighton University, I have met the infamous Kate Linden. I met up with her one day to discuss her interest in social justice and hear about where life has taken her and since then I have loved getting to know her. She is a great role model and inspiring woman!

So after reading within the first few pages of the people I knew were connected to Mev’s life, I also have that special connection of being from St. Louis (and Italian). I really enjoyed hearing about the Tower Grove neighborhood and other places in that great city!! It reminds me of home, which is a warm feeling. As you and Mev also worked and spent time at Karen House, I went to Karen House weekly for the four years at Nerinx Hall. Cooking dinners, hearing the stories of the women there, and spending time with the children was my favorite. It was such a hospitable community and hope was alive. Go Cardinals!!

Thank you thank you thank you for sharing your life with Mev in this book. The love between the two of you seemed endless. I smiled when you said that you “loved her more every day”. That is what marriage should be like. Also I thought the “kissering” was cute. Before moving on to Mev, I just wanted to tell you how supportive, caring, and real you were with Mev, especially during her times of being sick. It made my heart sink to think that she was losing her ability to use her speech and be independent. But it also hurt me to know that she wasn’t the only one suffering, you were too. You are doing exactly what Mev would have wanted you to do- continue on her enthusiasm for life and positivity and determination to change the world for the better.

What Mev did is an aspiring dream of mine. I am majoring in Justice and Society with a minor in Spanish. But this is just a title. I want to travel the world, learn about new cultures, and immerse myself in uncomfortable places. It is when we find that discomfort or that uneasiness that we have the desire to change what is unjust and reach out. Instead of walking away from things that look difficult (like most people do), I want to step forward and help. Not only do I want to go international, I want to find the issues facing people right here in Omaha or St. Louis. A quote by Eduardo Galeano completes my thoughts, “I don’t believe in charity. I believe in solidarity. Charity is vertical, so it’s humiliating. It goes from the top to the bottom. Solidarity is horizontal. It respects the other and learns from the other. I have a lot to learn from other people.” Mev never went to these places, took pictures, and kept the experiences for herself. She shared it with others, like what the people she met would have wanted her to do. They don’t want to be hidden or put on the back burner. I loved in the book when it was said that she wasn’t speaking for those without a voice, she was simply listening.

Latin America has a special place in my heart. I have been to the rural jungles of southern Mexico (near the Chiapas) my junior and senior years of high school. During the immersion trip we stayed with families and did the work they do- painted a grade school the first year and worked in the bean fields the second year (talk about physical labor)..It was incredibly eye opening and humbling. I learned simplicity, the importance of family, and the ability to truly listen to others. I am also planning to study abroad in the Dominican Republic in the fall of next year. Mev’s photographs of El Salvador and Haiti were beautiful. I bet it broke your heart when the earthquake hit Haiti. I have a feeling that Mev would have been down there instantly helping the people.

I so badly want to meet Mev. She is my role model, not because she did extraordinary things, but because she was an ordinary person who found her passions and ignited them!! I admire her confidence and ability to talk to anyone. I would love that strength. Also, I know Mev was a very spiritual person. After reading this book, I believe my spirituality was strengthened. I would not consider myself very religious, but spiritual is a good word. I loved hearing about the way she said the rosary with gratitudes. Thank you again for writing this book. I strive to be more like Mev every day. As Dorothy Day said, “We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community.”  I truly believe this.

Have a wonderful day!

Sincerely,

Anna Green

P.S. Would you consider coming to share at Creighton University?

by Sara Talken

The Book of Mev really opened my eyes to new levels of poverty. I always knew that poverty existed in third world countries but I never knew to what extent. Mev’s photojournalism really helped me understand just how severe the poverty in the Caribbean and South America really is. I am a visual learner. Seeing pictures and diagrams of how things work is my ideal way of learning. Seeing Mev’s pictures in this book really helped me to comprehend the severity of these people’s situations. Like the cliché says, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” the looks on the children’s faces and the sadness I could see in their eyes really hit home with me. These pictures spoke a stronger message to me than any lecture I’ve heard about the poverty in El Salvador or any article or news report about the poverty in third world countries. I admire Mev for creating such a touching and thought-provoking tool to show the world about the effects of poverty.

Mev came from an affluent suburb of St. Louis, yet she didn’t look down on the people who had less than she did. I can relate to Mev in this way. I grew up in a wealthy suburb of Kansas City. People at my high school received brand new BMWs for the fifteenth birthday. It is not a big deal, for some people, to go into Nordstrom and spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on clothes, shoes and accessories that will be out of style in a year or two. I’ll admit that I have gotten caught up in this storm of materialism and I would use shopping as a stress reliever or a way to get rid of my boredom. Now that I am in college and have burst out of my “Johnson County bubble,” expensive clothes, shoes, cars, and houses are no longer what encompass my thoughts. Sure, I’d love to live comfortably one day, but my eyes have been opened to a whole new world of people through my college experiences. I was taken aback by the amount of homeless people that wandered the sidewalks around the SLU campus. Also, the number of African American people really caught me off guard because where I am from an area where the dominant race is white/ Caucasian. I had never witnessed true diversity before college and I was quite sheltered and naïve about the world outside of Overland Park, Kansas.

My dream of becoming a doctor inspires me to change the way all people are treated, just as Mev wanted fairness and equality for all. I do think the fight against worldwide poverty is something everyone should participate in, but this cannot be accomplished until each country works to fix their own poverty problem. The United States falls into this category. There are hundreds of thousands of people that live below the poverty line in our country. I know that this needs to be addressed in much more detail than is being done. One issue that falls in my field of interest is the universal health care plan proposed by the Obama administration. I believe that each person has the right to care, no matter what their financial status. This isn’t exactly a way to fight the issue of poverty, but it is a step in the right direction for equality for all people. I feel that if Mev was alive today, this is a topic she would have a lot to speak about.

Mev lived a very inspirational life. Her devotion to the poor and having their stories heard in order to bring them a better life gives guidance to others who want to follow in Mev’s footsteps. Her journey was not an easy one, but having someone to look up to give hope to others with dreams like Mev.

–Sara is a pre-med junior at Saint Louis University.

by Sandra Tamari

Am I deserving of that kind of love?

Would she have been my friend?

Would she have had kids by now?

What happened to the cats?

Waiting for Jad’s Tae Kwon Do

to let out

Tired suburban parents yawn

and comment about all they need to do for Christmas

rather than all they need to do for Christ

12-foot plastic trees don’t go up by themselves

I want to shove one of Mev’s photos–

the one of the beautiful boy from Chiapas–

under their noses

and tell them

Wake Up! We are the Eyes of the World.

I want Arco Angels of my own

I want to have long discussions over wine and chocolate

with Mev and Mark

I want to be good

I want to be worthy

I want to live my life fully

rather than tell kids with big hopes that

they don’t

make the cut

for the American dream

Suffering can be beautiful

Why have I avoided it?

I will look at suffering in Gaza

and witness the beauty and the dignity

and the sorrow and the sadness

and I will be better for it.

Dear Dr. Chmiel,

I just finished The Book of Mev! I journaled a bit as/after I read, and I just feel like sharing my writing with you. I’ll see you Sunday evening.

Take care,

Linsey

9/11/2009

Page 299: Book of Mev. Here comes the sobbing I knew was inevitable. Sitting on the bed, propped up against four pillows in Walsh 352 clutching the hard, hardcover book with my ugly hands and losing it completely. My shoulders rattle a bit, more like a shiver than anything, and I adore the sunshine streaming into the window on my plain white bedspread, my toes, my jeans.

My God! Mev was real. Now she is in heaven and I’m reading this book about her and loving her and I am in heaven too, because of this. Thank you, Mev! Writing to a dead person. Maybe a little queer. Never mind that. This is Truth.

Tears pile up along my lower lashes. I wait for them to spill, but instead they dribble messily around the creases where one day I’ll wake up and find crows feet in the mirror. I’m reminded that I’m getting old and one of my tear ducts is deformed and I have a painful lump in my breast but six months, three breast exams and an ultrasound after finding it in Spring ‘09, I know it’s benign.

There is no room for mascara in my life anymore. I’m always, ALWAYS brought to tears. Tuesday/Thursday/Markchmielday especially, I’ve learned not to risk it because I’m certain to cry at least a bit in his 9:30 seminar class and watery charcoal smudges on the bags above my cheeks would be a dead giveaway. Pause from writing.

The book is finished! My tears are dry and a smile is eating my brain. Mev took great pictures. The book closes with one of Dr. Chmiel in Brazil writing. Or is he sketching? He is happy. Same face I met with the first day of the semester in Beracha Hall on Laclede. Monsoon Wedding soundtrack playing and I wanted to dance and sing ‘Aaja Nachle’ at the top of my lungs.

Now Mark is my teacher. This beautiful book-its dust jacket already tattered on the front right corner-mine. Mev-like exuberance, laughter and over the stories just imbibed, mine.

I am rich, obviously, to claim all this. And now I’m brimming with desire: to sit quietly, reread all my favorites mentioned throughout seamlessly as a bordered bolt of turquoise silk for a sari-Being Peace, Song of Songs, Dorothy Day-or better yet, to run outside barefoot, find little Dikaksha, Diwas, or ah! maybe even an unsuspecting classmate, and scoop them in my arms panting, because all that is mine is TOO good not to share. I need to watch the sun come up over the Arch again, from my favorite spot-the roof of the East Hickory Garage-and worship God and video the horizon as the change from night to day bursts forth.

I have no more words, just excitement, a mental photo montage and a homeless bandaid that served as a book mark for four days. Wait! It’s not homeless anymore! I’ve just stuck it to my favorite page in the book. Go and find it, dear reader. I dare you!

Dear Mark,

Almost a year ago, I was reading a book called ‘Blessed among women’ which contained a short profile of Mev. I was instantly captivated, and went online to find out more about her. I stumbled on information about her books on Amazon, and ‘the Book of Mev’ was recommended to me.

I ordered the book, and it arrived two weeks before I was to leave Australia to work with the Jesuits in Paraguay.

The reason I am so captivated by hers and your story is its humanity, sanctity and extraordinary ordinariness. It lifts my spirits, and I have read it almost three times over 4 months - bits and pieces here and there speak to my heart and soul.

I’m an Australian journalist and teacher, photographer and musician living in Asuncion, Paraguay in one of the poorest urban settlements here. I am challenged on a daily basis to live my faith authentically, and view things through the eyes of the poor.

For me, Mev’s story speaks to me on so many levels - her struggles in Brazil, her righteous anger at times with the institutional church, but her faith that light can shine through the darkness. The list goes on.

I wanted to express to you my gratitude for sharing this book with the world, and for your own very personal story which is intertwined in its pages.

Que Dios te acompana!

Beth

Hello Mark,

So I have been struggling at Yale. I came here to be exposed to new ideas and learn from world renowned academic minds. Instead I have found myself nose deep in old Hebrew or Greek Lexicons every night wondering how I can discover God and how God works among His people when I’m parsing Hebrew Qal Active Participles.

I began reading The Book of Mev again. I remembered how she thought about doing Biblical Studies but was turned off by all the ancient languages. Now I find myself in the same boat. :)

So I have decided to go down another path. I’m switching my concentration from Bible to a new program here in World Christianity and Missions! I’m going to focus on Africa and do work in anthropology, theology, and comparative studies with Christianity and Islam.

I’m so excited and I feel like this is what God wants me to be doing!

Reading about Mev again has really helped me look at myself introspectively and remember how enriching it is to see how God is present in the experiences of people in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

I just wanted to thank you again for sharing Mev with me and for the wonderful experience I had taking your course at SLU. I hope you are doing well and are enjoying the semester. I’m planning on making a trip back to St. Louis - perhaps we can meet up for coffee or something if you have the time and are in the area.

Talk to you soon!

Take Care,

Hope

Professor Chmiel,

Sorry, I am not in class today.  I made the long drive home last night.  However, I wanted to let you know that I am really enjoying reading The Book of Mev and am really glad that you decided to share it with us.  Unlike, many of the other books we have read in class, I feel like I can relate to  Mev in most ways.  Many of the questions that she asks in life are the same questions that I ask in life, and it’s interesting to learn about where she looked for answers to those questions and what she found.  I know it might not be the easiest book for you to teach, but I really think it is one of the most valuable books we have read in class.  All of the other books have been wonderful, but I am sometimes left thinking what can I do, here in this society today.  Most of the other people we have read about were forced into action by the harsh conditions or political changes in their lives, however, I assume that most of my peers and I have not been faced with such hardships or injustices so directly in our lives.  Sometimes, I wonder where we begin.  Mev’s experience with this is inspiring and gives us an example of how one woman who was in a very similar situation to myself at this age, made a significant impact on the world, even in her short life.  It has really helped me think about how I hope to go about my life. Thanks.

Sincerely,

Laura

Laura Kraus is in the Cook School of Business at Saint Louis University.

written by Miranda Portwine to Katie Lochhead

Hey Katie,

I was thinking about you today. Remember at the beginning of the semester how you were telling me you don’t know what to do with your life? You love theology and social justice but you are majoring in art. You are incredibly talented at art but it is not your passion. I know how passionate you are about just being with people–being present with them. You want to hear the stories and voices of those that don’t get heard and you want to share those stories with others.

I know in high school, you and your brother would volunteer at the soup kitchen on Sunday mornings. I thought you were crazy giving up a prime day to sleep in to go work your butt off at a kitchen. How foolish I feel now. I know that this sort of thing is effortless to you and it is just one thing out of a multitude that you do that I cannot even fathom having the time or the energy for. But like I said, you do it so effortlessly. You do not see it as giving up a day to sleep in. You do not see it as a sacrifice of yourself, but a chance to help others. I respect and honor you so much that you do that.

You are a role model in my life. Whenever I think about people who are just good right down to the bone, people who would sacrifice so much for the good of others, and people who will just be there for and with others, you are one of the people that come to mind. Another is Mev Puleo, but I have the honor and the pleasure of knowing you, being friends with you, and growing with you. I really do consider myself lucky. But you are probably wondering who this Mev is that I speak.

Well I will tell you. I took this class at SLU that I think you would be really interested in. It is a Social Justice class, and the professor is Dr. Mark Chmiel. My first encounter with Mev however was through a picture. I was at this woman’s house dropping off money for children in Haiti. Jane Corbett used to go down to Haiti and work with the poor there and when my grandma introduced me to her I know that I had to help somehow. While I was there, I saw a picture of a woman on her fridge and in the picture the woman was whispering something to Pope John Paul II. Jane noticed me looking at it and she told me that the woman in the picture also helped the poor and that she was a very nice, compassionate woman. She then went on to say that the woman was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and that we should keep her in our prayers. That woman was Mev.

It was a long time ago, however, and though some of the details are lost for me, that picture forever stayed burned in my brain. I would think about Mev from time to time, wonder how she was doing, and wonder what she had done. Years later, I found myself in a Social Justice class not knowing what I was getting myself into. I mean, I took it in high school and snored through most of it. I still had no idea what it was all about, and on top of that, after reading the syllabus for this one, I didn’t think I would have a chance to sleep at all. It was overwhelming but for some reason, I felt like I needed to be there. Well I ended up sticking with it and even friending my professor on Facebook! I was looking through his albums and there was a whole one devoted to Mev. To my surprise, I stumbled upon the very same picture! A chill went through me. A picture that I thought about for years, expecting my own memory to be faded, was staring at me exactly how I remembered it from so many years ago.

I told the professor about this happening and he told me a little bit about Mev, his late wife and even gave me a book he wrote on her, The Book of Mev. It sounded a bit biblical but I thought I’d give it a chance. Once I started reading it, I could not put it down. The book goes through how my professor, Dr. Chmiel, met Mev. It talked about her work with the poor in Brazil; it even has some of her interviews that she had with the people there: men, women, widows, priests, etc. It is covered with photos of her and photos she took of the people she interviewed and heard, and now we can hear them too. It went through her frustrations of finding publishers, frustrations of others not seeming to care, but also her determination and hope that we can make change. I learned more about her through this book not only her professional life, but her infectious laugh, her love for Ben and Jerry’s, and even some of her deepest fears. I feel like somehow, through the pages, I almost know her. It sounds crazy, I’m sure, but I think another reason I feel that way is because she reminds me of you: silly, goofy, loving, dedicated, motivated, hard-working, and a true friend.

I think you would really enjoy reading this book and I think it would really help you come up with what you could do through your gift of art and passion for social justice. I love you sweets; give me a call sometime if you want to talk more about it.

Until then, it is late and I should probably get to bed! J

Love you,

Miranda

Saturday 3 January 2009

I received this message from Katie Consumaus, who took Social Justice in spring 2008. Katie graduated from SLU in May 2008 and is an actor.

Dr Chmiel,

I just flipped on CNN after getting home from rehearsal and immediately thought of our encounter on New Year’s Eve as I watched a saddening report on Gaza.

My immediate reaction was desolation and helplessness– so often my response these days as I watch the news.

But then I became happier when I remembered I had good news to share with you that I neglected to mention the other day. My apologies for my forgetfulness– my mind was already on the show I was rushing off to perform in.

But anyway. This holiday, while riding around in the tour van between shows, I was able to start and complete THE BOOK OF MEV. I was so engrossed that I finished the last 100 pages of the book by the feeble blue light of my open cell phone late at night on the road. (It couldn’t wait until I got home, evidently, although I paid for it the next day with an eye strain headache. Haha.)

Social Justice as a course truly changed my entire perspective on life, and THE BOOK OF MEV only solidified my new perspectives into the deepest corners of my heart.

I am extremely grateful to you.

I have not yet processed my thoughts well enough to articulate an intelligible response to your book, but it is coming, and when I have come up with them, I will be sure to share them with you.

Thank you for sharing your words and your heart with your students and your readers.

Katie

16 September 2008

Dr. C,

Hello! Hope this email finds you well. Classes must be well on its way and I am sure you are enlightening many other students like myself as we speak. I’ve wanted to write you this email ever since I read the first chapters of your book about Mev. But I opted to wait until the end to write it. I picked an interesting time to read the book - a time of many changes. I first begin reading it while still in training, where I was constantly surrounded by 35 other Americans, either complaining or lamenting aspects of our lives. Just as I started to lose sight of the real reasons that I am here in Africa, your words reminded me. The “bubble” that you often mentioned in our classes still exists even here in the Peace Corps. It’s easy to surround myself with other Americans (or Chinese) and not step out of my comfort zone to “be with the people”. I thought I had burst the comfort bubble when I boarded that plane for Africa in June. Even just over these few months, I have learned that bubbles and comfort zone will always exist and one has to constantly fight hard to not be in it.

Thank you for sharing your stories with me. Not simply stories of Mev’s great work in the world, but stories of your love. Weeks ago, I was feeling lonely and thought to myself if I will ever have the “normal” relationship that others have due to the nature of my work and my goal to live in all continents minus Antarctica. Then I read your stories and know it can still happen. It took me a while to get through the book since lots were happening in my life. But last night, I picked it up again and began reading Part II and finished the book in a night.

It made me thinking about life and I can further understand the importance to live in the “present”. You just never know. I needed this inspiration as I am experiencing an interesting time as a Peace Corps volunteer – the first three months at post. Granted I still have yet spent a night alone since my friend Kate is having difficulty getting her house ready. But even so, I am experiencing a sudden loss of direction. I went from sleeping 4 hours a night to waking up without an alarm everyday. My French is better, but not great, so I struggle to really do much in my community.

However, round II is proving to be an excellent decision despite previous doubts. I haven’t felt so “Chinese” in a decade, thanks to the great Chinese community I stumbled upon here. Not sure how much of my blog you have been following, so I won’t repeat the stories here. I realized I have been making a clock-wise around the tour of the world, and the natural next step is going back to Asia, experiencing China. Things thus far haven’t been what I was expecting, but then I didn’t come into this with much expectation. Yesterday, I received news of Lehman Brothers filing for bankruptcy and I thought of our chats at Starbucks. I have friends whose life has been turned upside down this weekend because they lost their fancy jobs on Wall Street. I am glad I wasn’t among them and I am happy doing what I love in Africa. Again, you just never know. Even the “safe” option isn’t so safe. My friend said in an email, “I should have joined the Peace Corps, at least they don’t fire volunteers.”

I feel I could ramble on forever. I miss our chats. Hope you are well and thank you for continue teaching the others like me not only about social justice, about liberation theology, but simply about life, about following one’s heart and stepping out of comfort zone.

Future correspondences to come.

Peace and love,

Wendy

Wendy Lee is a Peace Corps Volunteer in Small Enterprise Development in Cameroon. She took Social Justice at SLU in spring 2008.

Monday 21 July 2008

Professor Chmiel,

Hi, my name is Jason Sengheiser. I graduated from SLU undergrad in 2000. I never took one of your classes, but a lot of my friends did and they always raved about you.

You may not recall this, but I was seated at the same table as you at Cab Gutting’s wedding.

Anyway, I am writing because recently another former student of yours, Katie O’Brien, gave me The Book of Mev to read. I just finished it, and I just felt like I had to write to express how much I appreciated the book.

On a basic level, I thought it was a beautiful love story between two extraordinary human beings and also their community. However, in addition it brought into focus so many questions about acting morally and living solidarity with the poor and persecuted. I suspect I will be reflecting on this book for years to come.

There are numerous points in that book to be contemplated, but the one that is currently resonating with me appears near the end. I think someone tells you “you never get over things, you just get through them.” There is wonderful wisdom to that statement.

I just want to thank you for writing the book and for sharing the story with the world.

Jason Sengheiser

Saturday 5 July 2008

Mark,

I just finished The Book of Mev and I want to thank you for writing such a sensitive book. I found the book on Linda Panetta’s bookshelf and began reading it, and immediately called the publisher and ordered a copy for myself. I’ve always had a high regard for Mev and your book just deepened my admiration. It is a beautiful tribute to Mev as well as to you. I am sure it was not easy to write, but I am very grateful that you did it.

We probably have met in the past. I think both you and Mev were involved in the Pax Christi Assembly in Santa Clara in 1994. It’s nice to reconnect through the book. I’ve already given my copy away and ordered another. When I get mine back (hopefully), I’ll keep it circulating.

Sincerely,

Bishop Tom Gumbleton

Hi Dr. Chmiel,

I know, it’s been great to keep running into you. And I have to say I have considered it a sign… I found out yesterday I was accepted to Americorps St. Louis. I am thrilled! I know it will be a challenging year of service, but I’m sure I will be surrounded by good people to help me through.

I also wanted to let you know that your class, and especially The Book of Mev, had a huge influence on my decision to decide to do a year of service. I obviously never met Mev, but in reading your book of her I was so inspired to take a leap of faith and do a year of service. As I read the book last year a fire was lit under me, but I was so frustrated in feeling like I couldn’t commit to anything that would make a difference the way Mev did. I was, like most college students, “busy.” The fire died out a bit, but I would often find myself thinking of Mev and her activism in social justice. So around Christmas time, (when I finally accepted the fact that I was going to be graduating) as I began to wonder what the next step in my life would be, I thought maybe I could act on that fire that had been lit. I of course was a little apprehensive, my parents knew nothing of this part of me. But having you and Mev in mind was always reassuring… here were two people that made it work and followed their passion.

It’s a great testament to your love of Mev that you were able to make her work live on through the book, and all the people it inspires.

So thank you.

-Anne

–Anne Schuermann studied in Social Justice in spring of 2006 and graduated from Saint Louis University in 2007 and is now finishing up her year with Americorps.

Wednesday 18 June 2008

by Charity Kaiser

I felt that Mev became one of my good friends as I read the book. That is why I cried at her funeral. I truly felt grieved by her death. Her short 30-something years had so much vitality, inspiration, passion and love, yet simplicity and suffering, too. I couldn’t help but put her on a pedestal and long for my life to share some of the qualities that were found in hers.

I love how her passion and vision for a more just world penetrated her life even to the interpersonal level – she seemed to treat a Brasilian campesino with the same respect and dignity as a Vatican official.

I love how she struggled and eventually found a way to combine and put to good use her great passions. The thing I probably love the most about this book is how it paints a picture of Mev that is simultaneously so ordinary and so extraordinary. It gives me hope that my own life is capable of such beautiful complexity.

Charity studied in Social Justice in spring 2008 and is entering her senior year.

Wednesday 18 June 2008

Hi Dr. Chmiel,

How are you? It’s been a while since we’ve talked. I looked for you at Sam’s wedding, but I think I must have missed you.

I wanted to tell you that I (finally!) just finished The Book of Mev. I’m not sure I can find the right words to express to you how touched I am by Mev’s love of life and your love for each other. The way you described and let her describe her passion for change and fight for justice reminds me of everything I learned in your class (already 4 years ago!) and reminds me that I need to do more in my own life for others.

Thank you for having the courage to write and share.

Take care, Amanda

Amanda Roberts studied Social Justice in the Spring of 2004 at Saint Louis University. She received her Master’s in Journalism at Indiana University and is a staff writer with the Illinois Times.

The following are Commonplace Book passages and commentaries by Brittany Accardi, who took Social Justice in spring 2007.

Poverty and Riches/1 Interview Pages 33-34

“The things I notice the most seem like a joke. That is, here in the United States the most sought-after foods are low-calories. The most valued food in poor countries is food with calories. It’s understandable, but it’s an incredible contradiction. Here, the people want to eat food with as few calories as possible to not gain more weight and people in poor countries try to eat food with many calories to gain at least a little bit of weight. We come from very different contexts…The United States does have a very big influence. I believe that through the means of communication, such as the TV, the North American way of life is very present among other peoples. Some of the positive values are present here, but also many limits, such as when people from out cultures want only to imitate the North American way of life.”

This passage describes a very clear contradiction that it seems Americans should be aware of and yet it still seems that most of our country is so blind to it. I took a phone call in the middle of copying this passage, and in crossing the magazine racks at Barnes and Nobles I passed multiple covers about fat-burning exercises and slimming techniques. We are so narrow-minded. I feel like just being aware of the situation of people in other countries would prompt Americans psychologically to stop downing so much food and realize that their biggest problem shouldn’t be keeping weight off. And yet we are surrounded by excess due to the nature of our culture. The other part that struck me about this passage was the imbalance of communication and exposure of contrasting cultures. Sure, we have the news, but we aren’t exposed to the lifestyles of those in other countries. And I am sure that many Americans are unaware that our lifestyles are exposed and mimicked by those in other cultures. Why can’t there be more equal exchange? I think, for Americans at least, it would provide a greater understanding of our own culture, seeing it reflected through another group of people.

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