Long, long ago when I was young, someone I knew told me how much it meant to her to read Candide. In fact, she read it over and over. It was inspiring. I wanted to say, “Are we talking about the same book?” How could the deep cynicism I’d seen in that book be inspiring? But she was old and I was young, so, instead of arguing, I filed it for future reference. Then there’s this story, perhaps a koan, I first heard at one of those self-help meetings so popular in that same era. … Continue reading Candide’s Garden by Susan Shafarzek →