Marking Time

“Suspension of Disbelief” – mixed-media sculpture (detail) by Mark Nielsen, circa 2010

Mark S. Nielsen is a freelance writer, teacher, filmmaker, mixed-media visual artist, musician, and aspiring Renaissance Man from Chicago, IL. He currently resides in Bloomington, IL with his fiancé, one son and two step-kids. He attends a Mennonite church, a semi-Catholic men’s group, funky Progressive/emergent church or secular social justice conferences, various writers’ workshops, a holistic healing drum circle, plus any number of music, theater and political events. He’s also a big supporter of the indie music, visual art, theater, Moth-style personal storytelling and slam poetry scenes throughout the Midwest. Mark mentors college students, spirituality groups, fellow writers and ecumenical/interfaith co-conspirators, but is not officially affiliated with any school or agency.

Mark has worked as a documentary film producer, director and crew, a K-8 Mennonite school teacher (theater, fine arts and P.E.), a high school English teacher, a college writing teacher, a mall Santa Claus, a pharmaceutical (and insurance industry) IT Analyst, a non-profit organization executive, and a corporate security manager. If you have any other ideas for what to do next, he IS entertaining suggestions.

Mark is presently at work on:

• a Kennedy-era historical novel entitled Murder In Birdland,
• a companion nonfiction podcast to the novel (on the intersections between popular music, movies, politics, and organized crime, both historically and in contemporary life),
• a twisted Christmas pageant script with original music,
• the occasional blog post,
• a small business start-up,
• his percussion and harmonica skills,
• the reduction of the paunch around his midsection.

……………….. He can be reached at mnielsen34@gmail.com.

Thomas Keating anthology leads to Love Supreme and a bite o’ the Apple

Gary Clark, Jr. was as good as advertised. There may be hope for American Blues Music yet.

WordPress blogger since 2007.  Northwestern University (1987 BS in Radio, TV & Film) , & Loyola University of Chicago (1994 M.Ed./English Lit) alumnus.

Age indeterminate…

(“I was so much older then… I’m younger than that now.” – Bob Dylan)

Warning: Shameless self-promotion ahead:

I occasionally teach a series of classes for teens, homeschool groups and adults called “Faith on Film”. I would gladly teach the class for your conference, school or church group for a reasonable fee. Additionally, I have conducted or helped coordinate multi-disciplinary arts practicum and spirituality workshops/conferences (called Spirit of the Creator), for both youth and adults.

— Email me at mnielsen34@gmail.com if you want to sponsor a single or multi-session *Faith on Film* or *Spirit of the Creator* event. I have a great deal of experience with events bridging the links between spirituality, music, television, movies, fine arts, and social justice. I love introducing others to new material, especially in the above fields, in a safe, non-threatening, multi-modal way that will feed their creativity and personal relationships for years to come.

I have worked in the media industry, education, and event promotion and management for over thirty years. I’ve done portions of this course for Catholics, mainline Protestants, conservative evangelicals, Mennonites, and business and secular workshop participants. With a spirit of curiosity and challenge, but with humility, I somehow manage to find or build common ground with disparate groups.

I can teach ‘em, and let ’em teach each other — creating transformative sparks in a spirit of love and tolerance, generally *without* ticking people off. The Spirit of God makes its home at the core of every person. Speak to that part of one’s soul and the rest just falls into place, with one’s inner picture or sense of purpose now a little less fuzzy than it was before we started. And more importantly, ready to grow by leaps and bounds.

Oh yeah… if you need some juggling, puppetry, or clowning for your event, I can do that, too. (Just to assure you that I don’t take myself too seriously…)

I don’t, however, do windows.

“The Wandering Monk”, The Early Years. (that’s my son Graham, btw… b. 6/5/02)