The knot had been there from the beginning. Tension, over time, had drawn it tighter. It was hard as a walnut and about the size of a child's fist, a minor imperfection breaking the smooth surface of the rope.
Discover the quiet beauty in Joseph Schmidt's haunting new collection, The Torchbearer.
Told through the course of twenty-one enchanting stories, this unique compilation introduces unrelated characters who nevertheless share in the humanity that connects us all.
In a world that is both subtly whimsical and vividly real, issues of isolation, faith, and regret are probed in the hopes of encouraging the readers' own existential explorations.
From the split-second decision that changes everything in the book's title story, each brief encounter with these intriguing characters evokes a sense of wholeness that somehow exceeds the sum of its parts.
Schmidt's sharp but versatile voice shines through in The Torchbearer, uniting each individual story and inviting readers to embrace the unknown in others, in nature, and in ourselves. It is a fascinating collection that leads audiences on a rare journey through their own intricate hearts.
About the Author: Joseph Schmidt was raised in a Midwestern Mennonite family. He attended Occidental College in Los Angeles during the late 1960's and then accepted a three-year teaching assignment in India.
Returning to the United States, he earned an MA in Psychology from Columbia University, opened a psychotherapy practice in San Francisco, and then worked as a corporate executive in New York for twenty years.
Following his corporate career, he cofounded New York Insight Meditation Center and served as its Executive Director. He is currently training as a chaplain with the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.
He lives in Ridgewood, New Jersey, with his wife. They have two sons, a daughter-in-law, and a grandson.
