Over the past several decades, Robert has used his interviewing and writing skills to report on a wide range of topics: from the healing powers of poetry to the courage and resilience of Holocaust survivors. Through lucid, crisp prose, he has brought his subjects to life … and touched the lives of many readers. Here are some examples of his work.
Building for the Future of Our Community
(published in the JFCS Generations newsletter summer 2012)
In every sense, Joseph and Meri Ehrlich were pillars of the Bay Area community. Long regarded as one of the pioneering Silicon Valley architects, Joe Ehrlich designed the Hewlett-Packard headquarters and other advanced-technology facilities. He will be remembered as an innovator in the industry—for creating buildings that are both aesthetically pleasing and environmentally sound. But his greatest legacy is what he built with Meri: a family and a community.
The Balm of Poetry:
Poet and Dominican Professor Dr. Joan Baranow on “Healing Words”
(published in the spring/summer 2008 issue of Dominican University’s Torch magazine)
Poet Joan Baranow has always believed in the power of language. Words can touch the heart, alter the mind, and soothe the soul. For Baranow, Assistant Professor of English Literature and Language at Dominican University and author of the collection “Living Apart” (Plain View Press, 1999), as well as the chapbook, “Morning” (Radiolarian Press, 1997), poetry has helped her get through difficult times in her life.
“I’ve been writing since I was eight,” Baranow recounts. “When you’re suffering, it helps you to put it into words and get it out. Poetry demands that you confront whatever it is you’re trying to deny. It allows you to speak what’s true, what’s real.”
Baranow now knows that a good dose of poetry can do quite a bit more than comfort. It can also heal the body.
Palliative Care Program Improving the Quality of Life
(published in Jewish Family and Children’s Services’ Outcomes newsletter, spring 2012)
In the quiet of the early morning, as she sipped a cup of coffee and looked out her kitchen window, Marsha P. used to think: How do I want to live the rest of my life? What do I want to accomplish? What haven’t I done that I really want to do? There was a comfort to these hypothetical questions, because Marsha, a long-term cancer survivor, was doing just fine—going to work, enjoying life in the city, spending the weekend with loved ones.
These days, though, the same questions have taken on a new urgency. After another bout with cancer and several surgeries that have left her worn out and weak, Marsha is reassessing her life’s priorities.
How Do We Ground Helicopter Parenting?
(published in June 2013 on the Parents Place website)
Most of us have the best of intentions when it comes to our kids. We won’t hover, and we’ll let our children do things for themselves and learn from their mistakes. But sometimes we just can’t resist the urge to jump in for them–finishing their math homework, cleaning their rooms, or answering questions posed for them before they’ve even had a chance to reply! “While not a new phenomenon, helicopter parenting has intensified and can have crippling effects on children,” said Karen Friedland Brown, Director at the Peninsula Parents Place, where thousands of families come each year for help with parenting challenges.
“Helicopter parenting transcends race, class, religion, and the age of your children,” continues Karen. “It can start when children are still babies simply from our intense desire to protect our little ones or with our discomfort when they cry or have tantrums. It’s easy to fall into a pattern of coddling or hovering.”
Samples of my work | 323-793-1293 | RobertNaglerMiller@gmail.com