Mark Nepo (born February 23, 1951, in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

), is a poet and spiritual adviser who has taught in the fields of poetry and spirituality for over 40 years. Nepo is best known for his ''New York Times'' #1 bestseller, ''The Book of Awakening.'' He has published 23 books and recorded 15 audio projects. A

cancer survivor A cancer survivor is a person with cancer of any type who is still living. Whether a person becomes a survivor at the time of diagnosis or after completing treatment, whether people who are actively dying are considered survivors, and whether ...

, Nepo writes and teaches about the journey of inner transformation and the life of relationship.

Personal life

Nepo has a doctorate in English. He taught for 18 years at the

State University of New York The State University of New York (SUNY ) is a system of Public education, public colleges and universities in the New York (state), State of New York. It is one of the List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, larges ...

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

. He then moved to

Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 73,598. It is the principal city of the Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan are ...

. In his 30s he was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma, a struggle which helped to form his philosophy of experiencing life fully while staying in relationship to an unknowable future.

Career

In 2010,

Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954) is an American television presenter, talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show' ...

chose Nepo's ''The Book of Awakening'' as one of her Ultimate Favorite Things for her farewell season, launching it to the #1 spot on the ''New York Times'' bestseller list. Nepo has appeared several times with Oprah Winfrey on her Super Soul Sunday program on OWN TV, and was named to Oprah's ''SuperSoul100'' list of visionaries and influential leaders. He was also interviewed by Robin Roberts on

Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'', often abbreviated as ''GMA'', is an American breakfast television, morning television program that is broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends wit ...

. Oprah has also written about Nepo in her ''O!'' magazine column, "What I Know for Sure," and featured him on her "The Life You Want" class on "Being Fully Present" in April 2022. Mark became a regular columnist for ''Spirituality & Health Magazine'' in 2017.

Books

*''Surviving Storms: Finding the Strength to Meet Adversity'' (St. Martin's Essentials, 2022) * 20th Anniversary Edition of The Book of Awakening, with a new Foreword by

Jamie Lee Curtis Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958) is an American actress, producer, and children's author. Known for List of Jamie Lee Curtis performances, her performances in the horror and slasher film, slasher genres, she is regarded as a scream qu ...

Red Wheel, 2020 *''The Book of Soul: 52 Paths to Living What Matters'' (St. Martin's Essentials, 2020) *''Drinking from the River of Light: The Life of Expression'' (Sounds True, 2019) *''More Together Than Alone: Discovering the Power and Spirit of Community in Our Lives and in the World'' (Atria Books, 2018) *''Things that Join the Sea and the Sky'' (Sounds True, 2017) *''The Way Under the Way: The Place of True Meeting'' (Sounds True, 2016) *''The One Life We're Given'' (Atria Books, 2016) *''Inside the Miracle: Enduring Suffering, Approaching Wholeness'' (Sounds True, 2015) *''The Endless Practice: Becoming Who You Were Born to Be'' (Atria Books, 2014) *''The Little Book of Awakening'' (Conari Press, 2013) *''Reduced to Joy'' (Viva Editions, 2013) *''Seven Thousand Ways to Listen'' (Free Press, 2012) *''The Book of Awakening'' (Red Wheel-Conari, 2000) *''As Far As the Heart Can See'' (HCI Books, Sept 2011) *''Finding Inner Courage'' (Red Wheel-Conari, Feb 2011, originally published as ''Facing the Lion, Being the Lion,'' 2007) *''The Book of Awakening'' (CD Box Set, Simon & Schuster, March 2011) *''Finding Inner Courage'' (CD Box Set, Simon & Schuster, March 2011) *''Staying Awake'' (CD Box Set, Sounds True, Spring 2012) *''Holding Nothing Back'' (CD Box Set, Sounds True, Spring 2012) *''Surviving Has Made Me Crazy'' (CavanKerry Press, 2007) *''Unlearning Back to God: Essays on Inwardness'' (collected essays) (Khaniqahi Nimatullahi Publications, 2006) *''Deepening the American Dream: Reflections on the Inner Life and Spirit of Democracy'' (Editor) (Jossey-Bass, 2005) *''The Exquisite Risk: Daring to Live an Authentic Life'' (Three Rivers Press, 2005) *''Suite for the Living'' (Bread for the Journey International, 2004) *''Inhabiting Wonder'' (Bread for the Journey International, 2004) *''Acre of Light'' (Greenfield Review Press, 1994, also available as an audiotape from Parabola under the title ''Inside the Miracle,'' 1996) *''Fire Without Witness'' (British American Ltd., 1988) *''God, the Maker of the Bed, and the Painter'' (Greenfield Review Press, 1988) Nepo's works have been translated into twenty languages, including French, Portuguese, Japanese, and Danish.

References

External links

*
Official Facebook page
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nepo, Mark 1951 births American male poets Living people American spiritual writers Musicians from Brooklyn State University of New York faculty Writers from Kalamazoo, Michigan American spoken word artists American male non-fiction writers