Offering an evening of gratitude

Paulina Springs Books presents an evening of gratitude with author/photographer Eric Alan weaving inspirational stories and photographs from his new book "Grateful by Nature." The event will take place on Thursday, June 29, 6:30 p.m. at Paulina Springs Books, 252 W. Hood Ave. in Sisters. The event is free, and all are welcome.

Eric Alan's "Grateful by Nature" offers gratitude as our shared path home, within a return to nature. Through poetic stories and vivid photographs, the book's mindful walk through five seasons in the Oregon backwoods outlines gratitude as a devoted practice. It guides gratitude into daily action, able to transform our most painful challenges into healing and compassion.

The stories and images in "Grateful by Nature" include many from the region in and around Sisters, including Sisters Folk Festival (where Eric Alan has frequently served as an emcee), the Metolius River, Clear Lake, and other places of natural refuge.

Through the meditations, workshops, and music arising from within it, "Grateful by Nature" is evolving into the centerpiece of inspired, shared experiences of gratitude that cross senses and forms. For the past eight years, Eric Alan has collaborated on multimedia community gratitude gatherings called "The Nature of Gratitude," which merge live music, spoken word, photography, art, and community service. (See http://www.natureofgratitude.com.) Many of the stories and images in the book have also found a home in his work with National Geographic photographer Dewitt Jones, in their shared project called "Celebrate What's Right with the World."

"Grateful by Nature" is Eric Alan's fourth published book, and the third to integrate his nature photography with his insightful and poetic prose. His previous photographic books include "Wild Grace: Nature as a Spiritual Path," and "Grace and Tranquility." Those two books gave rise to a companion album, also called "Grace and Tranquility," merging Eric Alan's lyrics with the music of international recording artists Gypsy Soul. He also co-wrote the book "This Is Our Time!" with Major League Baseball author Chris Haft-the inside story of the wild, improbable 2010 San Francisco Giants and their World Series Championship.

More information about Eric Alan can be found at http://www.ericalan.com.