simon’s crossing
IUNIVERSE, 2010
authored by dennis patrick slattery
and Charles Asher
When I was on a pilgrimage to monasteries, retreat centers and Zen Buddhist centers in the western United States in 1998, I stayed at a retreat center outside Tucson, Arizona. There I walked the stations of the cross each morning before the heat of the day. At the station where Simon of Cyrene is pulled from the crowd to carry Jesus’ cross so he would be alive to be crucified, I heard a voice that said simply: “Tell my story.” I believed it was Simon’s voice. I invited my good friend, Charles Asher, at the time Provost of Pacifica Graduate Institute, to coauthor the story with me. We worked on it for many years and had spirited discussions on what direction the story should take. The result is a novel with two authors, a rarity in the world. The journey was an exciting one and led to a rich rendering of Simon’s experiences as he carried Christ’s cross.