Mag Dimond has been a world traveler since her mother took her to live in Italy from ages eleven to fourteen. She traveled extensively in Europe and Central America, and ventured to such exotic landscapes as India, Cambodia, Bhutan, Japan, Kenya, China, Burma, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cuba. After a career teaching writing to college students in San Francisco and Taos, she now volunteers as a writing tutor at 826 Valencia, an esteemed literacy program launched by David Eggers. She is a practicing Buddhist and dedicated member of Spirit Rock Meditation Center north of San Francisco. Excerpts from Bowing to Elephants have been honored in American Literary Review, Travelers Tales Solas Awards, the Tulip Tree "Stories that Must be Told" awards, and the 2017 William Faulkner Wisdom Awards. Additionally, Dimond has published essays at Elephant Journal, an online magazine with a readership of almost two million. You can find her essays on her website, www.magdimond.com.