Of all the members of his close knit Ukrainian family, Jeff Swain most uncannily resembles his Uncle Albie, who was also a runner.
About Jeff Swain
Unconquered
January 28, 2013 By 1 Comment
Jeff Swain defines ‘unconquered,’ with some help from his friends: William Ernest ‘Captain of My Soul’ Henley and Tom Petty.
The Circle of Life
January 21, 2013 By 2 Comments
The Beatles, The Bible, and the Sanskrit word for bliss: Jeff Swain explains how by following our bliss, we find our purpose.
Why We Run
January 14, 2013 By 3 Comments
Long-distance runner Jeff Swain loses himself in the Allegheny Forest.
Very Superstitious
January 7, 2013 By 4 Comments
Rituals we perform for good luck are known as sorcery, and actions we avoid out of superstition are taboos.
Never Stop Living
December 27, 2012 By 3 Comments
Does self-image ultimately determine how the body will perform?
A Grief So Profound
December 17, 2012 By 1 Comment
What can we learn from ancient myths about grief and mourning in the present?
Cockfighters and Poets
December 10, 2012 By 3 Comments
What the cockfighter and the artist have in common is what they put on the line.
Book of Job
December 3, 2012 By 6 Comments
My dad once had me prove I went to church by explaining that Sunday’s sermon.
Death by Confirmation
November 26, 2012 By 4 Comments
In this Catholic rite of passage, becoming a man permanently alters a boy’s relationship to his father.
The Day Mrs. Ryan Broke Up Our Rock and Roll Band
November 19, 2012 By 3 Comments
In August, 1976, five kids from Northeast Philly were going to be the heroes who saved Rock and Roll.
Original Sin
November 12, 2012 By 3 Comments
To be free of the lifelong effects of a childhood failure, Albie had to do more than remember what happened.
The Meaning of Life
November 11, 2012 By 14 Comments
Jeff Swain’s new column on The Good Life explores the myths that tell the story of what it is to be a human being.
Eulogy for Uncle John
October 14, 2012 By 19 Comments
Jeff Swain remembers his uncle who taught him his first dirty joke, helped raise him, and taught him about being a man.
“It’s a woman’s job to make her man feel safe — a safe place that doesn’t expect him to do brave things just because he’s a man.”
This is a comment by Kat on the post “A Husband’s Job Is To Create Emotional Safety”.