The Emptiness of Our Hands: 47 Days on the Streets

Who would you be without a home?

In 1999 Phyllis Cole-Dai and James Murray lived by choice on the streets of Columbus, Ohio, the 15th-largest city in the U.S. They went to the streets with a single intention: to be as present as possible to everyone they met, offering them sustained and nonjudgmental attention. Such attention is the heart of compassion. 

This book chronicles their streets experiences. It will thrust you out the door of your comfortable life, straight into the unknown. It will force you to confront what might happen to you, and who you might become, if suddenly you had no home. The meditative narrative is accompanied by pinhole photographs shot by James using cameras he constructed from trash. 

This is the third edition of the book, lightly edited. Though recounting events that occurred in 1999, The Emptiness of Our Hands remains as relevant today as ever. 

An "eye-opening" and "life-changing" read!

Read this book on its own or in the company of Practicing Presence: Insights from the Streets, a free e-book that Phyllis wrote on the 10th anniversary of her time on the streets. Take your reading slow, perhaps one chapter per day, so you can absorb and reflect.

Get your free sampler of Phyllis's work when you join her mailing list at her website.