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WOW Center and Straw Dog Writers Guild to present author Steven Billias!
WOW Center and Straw Dog Writers Guild to present author Steven Billias!
Westfield on Weekends (WOW) in association with Straw Dog Writers Guild and WhipCity Wordsmiths, will present poet and author Steven Billias as part of the free “Writers Out Loud Guest Author Series.” The event will take place on Thursday, September 24th at 7:00 PM at The WOW Center, 105 Elm Street in Westfield’s Downtown Cultural District.
Stephen Billias is the published author of seven fantasy novels, one collection of short stories, and a literary novel, Pilgrim Maya, that he wrote with his wife Bela Breslau. He is a MacDowell Fellow. Stephen has worked as a professional actor, street-performing juggler, dishwasher, New York City taxi driver, technical writer, and project manager.
With The Zen Time Traveler, Stephen is returning to the Buddhist themes he explored in his first fantasy novel, The American Book of the Dead, a black comedy about World War III issued by Time Warner under the Questar imprint.
The Zen Time Traveler: A Pilgrim’s Journey Through the Koans
Stephen Maine is a middle-aged project manager navigating the collapse of his marriage and the quiet despair of modern burnout. But his weekly Zen meditation class in a Massachusetts church basement offers an unexpected escape. By reciting a mysterious haiku, Stephen finds his consciousness hurtled across the space-time continuum, landing squarely in the body of Wùk?ng, a Japanese monk traveling through Song Dynasty China in the year 1225.
In this vibrant, dangerous ancient world, Zen koans are not abstract intellectual riddles—they are visceral, life-or-death encounters with legendary Chan masters. As Stephen navigates this dual existence, he finds himself increasingly drawn to the past, captivated by a fierce, magical sword maker named Yabaku, and the thrilling asceticism of his host’s spiritual quest.
“A sweeping saga… at once a journey, a spiritual exploration, and a meditation on the ways time, perception, and devotion intersect. With immersive prose that paints vivid scenes of Song Dynasty monasteries, Billias delivers a seamless exploration of presence, awareness, and human longing.” —Publishers Weekly (? Editor’s Pick)
The Writers Out Loud series also hosts monthly Open Mike nights on the second Thursday of each month, offering writers of all levels a welcoming space to share their work.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
This program is funded in part by grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Westfield Cultural Council, supporting accessible literary and cultural programming for the Greater Westfield community.
Westfield on Weekends, a nonprofit organization that helps to define the cultural and creative vitality of the Greater Westfield community through accessible programming that celebrates its many neighbors; Straw Dog Writers Guild is a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to the craft and transformative power of writing and serving writers in Hampden and Hampshire Counties; and WhipCity Wordsmiths is a Westfield based writers’ social and support group committed to fostering connection and creativity among local authors.
