About

My name is Sven, and as it works out in the grander scheme of synchronicity, that rhymes with Zen. I was born and spent the first half of my life in the firmly rooted stomping grounds of Germany, and since have been frolicking in the more sublime playing grounds of San Francisco. I march to the driving beat of the political, and sojourn in the boundless grace of the spiritual. I feel at home on earth, and at ease with the sky. Stick my hands in the soil and raise my glass to the soul. I’m interested in everything and yearn for nothing. Tread lightly but live large. Find magic in the mundane, and music in each membrane. I’m here to build bridges from the rugged edges of the mind to the soft terrain of the heart. From soil economy to soul ecology, and the spaces between, that’s my world, a world of words.

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27 Comments

  • Hi, Sven. I am glad I found your lovely blog. It looks like not only are we reading the same book at the same time, but we are both into Slow Food and the like. I actually had Leonard Cohen tickets this year until my boyfriend ended up in the hospital right at that time. Rats!

  • Sven, are you in the East Bay? in Oakland? If yes, would like to talk to you, and would like to include this blog in a blogroll of local blogs I am creating.
    Just added you to my newsreader..thanks for such thoughtful writing.
    S

    • Susan, I live in SF but I’m at the Ecocity Builders office in downtown Oakland pretty frequently and I rehearse with my band in Oakland, so my heart is in Oakland as well as SF. I’d be honored to be on your blogroll and will return the favor once your blog is up. I know some other great East Bay folks I could turn you on to as well. Keep me posted on when you launch. Thanks so much for stopping by.

  • We need more people to explore that ever fruitful space between soil and soul, since I fear too many of us have forgotten its existence. Your blog is a joy to read.

  • Hello Sven,

    I find out your blog only today. It’s so good. I just wanted to congratulate you and say hello after Istanbul. To remind you, about ten people from different countries we go out to beyoglu on the last nite of the world summit. I’m the Turkish one of that group. Take care..

  • Sven,
    Thanks for the tremendous review on Matt Ritchie’s show. Your understanding of his work and the man himself was a revelation. Which is a surprise for me…since I am his aunt. When he was a kid he drew pictures for me as we sat and talked in his room in San Jose. I saw the magic in his eyes as he drew and talked about all his dreams. I kept several of his early masterpieces. Sadly, I lost contact with him for several years. About nine years ago, we reconnected. My husband and I met his wonderful family. We are huge fans of his and his wife’s work. He was a great kid and now, an inspiring man. Thanks again for your honest and heartfelt review.

    • Hi Mara, so glad you liked it, and that’s such a sweet story of you two reconnecting! It’s just been so nice to see him blossoming not just as an artist, but as a human being, and I’m thinking that reconnecting with his family is all part of it. Hopefully we’ll meet at one of Matt’s openings soon!

  • I am honored to have met you via your blog. I can see where this will be a refuge and refreshment for me. I can see the value you are creating for yourself and the world. Thanks you.

    • Thanks for stopping by, Sandra. I like the idea of life’s third trimester, it reminds me that all of life is a birthing process. Enjoy the journey, looking forward to crossing paths with you.

  • Greetings Sven, I found you through the recent Yes magazine article on the Importance of Being Sassy. I would like to talk with you as I am in pre-production for a film to be shot this summer/fall I am for now calling Creativism – Where Creativity and Activism Converge. I am looking for subjects in North America to include, and hope you might be a resource in connecting me to people that would inspire and motivate. I’m looking for bold, creative and out-of-the-box ways people have come up with to bring attention to issues of passionate concern to them. Drop me an email from http://www.hwosch.com and lets connect up.

  • Morgan Herr Sven,

    Your logic is spot on, and I agree the train is leaving the station, headed for a sustainable future. But the sociopaths and naysayers are doing all they can to block the tracks. As they delay the inevitable, they are doing incalculable damage to the biosphere.

    With your permission, I’d like to include this latest piece along with a link to your blog as an entry in my blog.

    • absolutely, Geoff, feel free to repost. I think there are a lot of moneyed interests that are doing everything they can to derail this train, but I think that a lot of moderate conservatives are very amenable to jumping on. They just have to get permission in the way the way of public opinion shifting on this issue. And we should all welcome them. Thanks for stopping by!

  • Hi Sven, We have a newly launched blog, takingonthegiant.com about young people, past and present who change the world. I want to follow your fine blog and hope you might be interested in following ours. We have landed into the middle of a big story and we thought you might like to become involved. Last year, Anjali Appadurai, a student at The College of the Atlantic, managed to address all the senior delegates at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change which was held in South Africa. Her brief, awesome speech got world-wide attention. But since the simple clear voice of a youth severely challenged the delegates in a way some of the more powerful members did not want to hear, at this year’s Conference in Doha, Qatar, Anjali has been kicked out. This the student who has been dubbed the youth voice of civil society. Imagine, being over in the Middle East, thousands of miles from home and being intimidated by Security officials. But she has kept her cool and the youth there supporting her have written a polite letter demanding her reinstatement. However, if Anjali is not reinstated, there most certainly will be an effort to mobilize young people around the world to support her. If you could take three minutes and link to her speech from last year and decide if you don’t agree that she is a powerful voice representing the youth of the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko3e6G_7GY4. If you do agree with us, (and tens of thousands of others) consider doing a story either by linking to our website (or just steal from it, we don’t care) to inform and involve your considerable followers. Young people dream of a better world but worry that it might not be… this is a way they can act on their dreams. If you have any question, we would be happy to provide any assistance possible.
    Charlie Butts

  • Sven,
    Greetings, My name is Curtis Coronado, founder of Simply Food Magazine (a digital magazine available in the Apple Newsstand). I really enjoyed your article The Seeds They Are A-Changin’ and the story and perspective it was written with. I feel my readers would love to read it as well. I would love to feature it in the next issue and give you and your blog credit, and link back to your blog. Let me know if you have any interest. I look forward to talking more. Thanks for your time.

  • What a wonderful blog you’ve created, Sven. I am getting ready to launch my own, and just enjoyed reading your poetic bio and admiring everything you are about. Can you believe it’s been almost 13 years since we met in Steven Forrest’s training in Pátzcuaro? I raise my glass from this soil to the common soul of humanity, to yours, and our Earth!

    • Thank you so much for those kind words, Magali. We’re really on the same page. I so appreciate all your thoughts and insights as well and can’t wait to see your blog. Please keep me posted.

      And yes, Pátzcuaro was really special, I remember it so fondly. Lots of laughter!

      Steve & Sven