M Archives – Page 2 of 2

Netanel Miles-Yepez

August 14, 2020

Netanel Miles-Yépez is a Mexican-American artist, comparative religion scholar and teacher of contemporary spirituality. After learning that he was descended from a Mexican family of crypto-Jews, Netanel decided to study History of Religions at Michigan State University and Contemplative Religion at the Naropa Institute, specializing in comparative religion, mystical spirituality, and non-dual philosophies. In 1998, he moved to Boulder, Colorado, to study with the innovative Hasidic master and leader in ecumenical dialogue, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, founder of the Jewish Renewal movement. In addition to Schachter-Shalomi, he also studied with various Sufi masters and teachers of Buddhism, and counts Father Thomas Keating, Trappist monk and founder of the Centering Prayer movement, as an important influence. After years of working as a professional editor, and as the director of a non-profit, Netanel started Albion-Andalus Books to publish serious, though less obviously marketable works often overlooked by larger publishers.

Today, Netanel teaches in the Department of Religious Studies at Naropa University, and spends the rest of his time writing, painting and working on publishing projects. His paintings have been shown in a number of solo and group exhibits in Colorado, and as a writer, he is known for his critically acclaimed commentaries on Hasidic spirituality, A Heart Afire: Stories and Teachings of the Early Hasidic Masters (2009) and A Hidden Light: Stories and Teachings of Early HaBaD and Bratzlav Hasidism (2011), as well the edited volumes, The Common Heart: An Experience of Interreligious Dialogue (2006) and the award winning Living Fully, Dying Well: Reflecting on Death to Find Your Life’s Meaning (2009).

Virginia Messina

August 14, 2020

Virginia Messina, MPH, RD, is coauthor of Vegan for Life and Vegan for Her and of the first textbook on vegetarian nutrition for medical professionals. She writes and speaks on vegan nutrition for both consumers and health professionals. Ginny serves on the board of directors of Vegfund and on advisory boards of One Step for Animals, Veg Youth, and the Vegetarian Resource Group. She lives in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, with her husband and an ever-changing population of rescued cats. Her website is theveganrd.com.

Rob Merritt

August 14, 2020

Rob Merritt graduated from the University of Iowa School of Journalism in 1998 and currently lives in Iowa, where he is a marketing strategist and an actor.

Nan Merrill

August 14, 2020

Nan C. Merrill was the author of the classic Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness (2001); Meditations and Mandalas: Simple Songs for the Spiritual Life (2001); and Journey into Love: From Grace to Gratitude (2008). She died in January 2010.

William Meninger

August 14, 2020

Fr. William Meninger, OCSO, entered St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts, in 1963. While there, he developed a contemplative prayer method based on the fourteenth-century classic The Cloud of Unknowing, leading to a prayer method called Centering Prayer. Fr. William moved from St. Joseph’s Abbey to St. Benedict’s Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado, in 1979, where he has served as prior and novice director. His books include The Loving Search for God: Contemplative Prayer and the Cloud of Unknowing and Bringing “The Imitation of Christ” into the Twenty-First Century. He contributed to Sundays at the Magic Monastery: Homilies from the Trappists of St. Benedict’s Monastery and to St. Benedict’s Monastery.

Brian McCarthy

August 14, 2020

Chef Brian P. McCarthy has been a professional cook/chef since 1982. In 1995 he turned to a vegan diet for its health benefits, and began to explore the world of vegan cooking as a chef for Bon Appétit. Cooking in Oregon, he ran the Intel vegetarian/vegan international station and prepared dishes for catered events attended by CEOs, mayors, house representatives, senators, and the newly elected Barack Obama. He also spent time leading various cooking classes and presentations for Northwest Veg and Bob’s Red Mill. In 2012 Brian moved to Massachusetts to be a chef at MIT, and became an instructor for The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts.

Jo-Anne McArthur

August 14, 2020

Jo-Anne McArthur is an award-winning photographer, author, and sought-after speaker. Through her long-term body of work, We Animals, she has documented our complex relationship with animals around the globe. Since 1998, her work has taken her to over sixty countries. In 2019 she founded We Animals Media.

McArthur was the subject of the critically acclaimed 2013 documentary The Ghosts in Our Machine, which followed her as she documented the plight of abused and exploited animals and advocated for their rights as sentient beings.

McArthur’s photography and writing has been in publications such as National Geographic and National Geographic Traveller, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Lens Culture, Medium, VICE, the LA Times, Canadian Geographic, DAYS Japan, Helsingin Sanomat, Der Spiegel, PhotoLife magazine, Huffington Post, Outdoor Photography, and Feature Shoot. In addition, We Animals images have been used by hundreds of organizations, publishers and academics to advocate for animals. Recent awards include 2019 Wildlife Photographer of the Year, photojournalism category; Italy’s Festival of Ethical Photography award, Single Shot; Austria’s Alfred Fried Peace Award in 2018; and the 2017 Wildlife Photographer of the Year, People’s Choice category. Her website is We Animals Media.org.

Jim Mason

August 14, 2020

Jim Mason was trained as a lawyer. He was one of founders and editor of the Animals Agenda magazine, and co-author (with Peter Singer) of Animal Factories (1980) and The Ethics of What We Eat (2006). He has written articles for The New York Times, New Scientist, Newsday, Orion, and Audubon magazine, and has contributed to several anthologies, including In Defense of Animals (2005). His website is www.jimmason.website.

Wangari Maathai

August 14, 2020

Wangari Maathai was the founder of the Green Belt Movement and the first woman to earn a doctorate in biology in East Africa. A recipient of numerous awards for her work on environmental and social issues, in 2004, she was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2006, she published her memoir, Unbowed. She is also the author of Challenge for Africa and Replenishing the Earth. Professor Maathai died on 25 September 2011 at the age of 71 after a battle with ovarian cancer. Her organization’s website is greenbeltmovement.org.