Touching other people: Essay in empathy

Date

2012-08

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Abstract

The following is a collection of personal, lyric, memoir, and travel essays that examines how interaction with “other” people and places lies at the heart of self-definition and self-awareness. These brief essays, though only loosely connected chronologically and thematically, focus largely on the author’s life as a transplant living in Lubbock, Texas; on his experiences in Japan as a missionary and tourist; and on the challenges of being a husband and father. Along the way, the author explores the lifestyle of the cockroach, the nature of first kisses, the discomforts of air travel, the agony of Little League t-ball, the motives of car thieves, the faith of children, and the plight of the homeless. In revealing the intimate, if seemingly mundane details of the author’s life, the essays provide insights into broader human issues, and in the process give readers a chance to discover insights into their own lives.

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Keywords

Essay, Personal essay, Creative nonfiction, Lyric essay, Travel essay, Literary nonfiction, Memoir, Joey Franklin, Rodin, Kiss, Cockroaches, Little League, Prayer, Touch, Social dance, Air travel, Grand Theft Auto, Fatherhood, Marriage

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