"Back before Christmas, I led a weekend retreat in California. At its close, one
of the retreatants presented me with The Whole Language: The Power of
Extravagant Tenderness. I happen to be an admirer of the book's author, Gregory
Boyle. Hes the founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, "the largest
gang-intervention, rehabilitation, and reentry program in the world."
Extravagant. Tenderness.
I've been reading snatches of Boyles book in hotel rooms, in airports, on
bumpy flights. Last night, when I finally finished, I flipped back through the
pages, reviewing lines I'd highlighted. "Make us into a cento," they said, in
chorus. So that's exactly what I've done."
Phyllis Cole-Dai shares more.
