ALAN Workshop-Ben Mikalsen
ALAN Workshop-Ben Mikaelsen
When Ben Mikaelsen writes a book, it takes approximately eight months: two months of research, two months of writing, and four months of rewriting.
In his books he wanted an emotional, spiritual survival. Without the emotional care, a physical life doesn't matter. He looks at raising Buffy the Bear as a metaphor for emotion. When he is angry, Buffy is angry too. When he is happy and at ease, Buffy is happy and at ease.
In the research for his book Touching Spirit Bear, he became very interested in the idea of Circle or Restorative Justice. It comes down to a question of which way do you choose to go? Are you choosing a positive experience or a negative one? Traditional justice has a 90% recidivism rate while Circle/Restorative justice has a 30% recidivism rate. Part of the reason for the disparity can be attributed to the exclusion of the community in traditional justice.
When we have been treated badly, we have two choices: we can get over it or we can carry it with us. When we're angry, some one else is controlling our lives. Those who harm us, usually don't mean to harm us. Every one of is traveling a path in our lives, and we should not begrudge others their paths. There are no good or bad people. Only good and bad choices.
Books can bring healing into our lives. Mikaelsen tells the story of a young girl in Montana who was brutalized by her uncle. Some how, the girl was given a copy of Touching Spirit Bear. She read it and told her mother they had to read it together. They read it together, and the girl said they had to get a copy of the book for her uncle. While other things are helping in her healing, both she and her mother feel that the book gave them the opportunity to begin to let go of the harm that had been done to them. They were able to begin to choose to get over it. And that is part of the power of books.
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Last Updated April 11, 2011
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