Jonah Willihnganz is the Director of the Stanford Storytelling Project and Co-Founder of the LifeWorks Program for Integrative Learning at Stanford University, where he has taught creative writing and literature for twenty years. Growing up in Maine, and educated by the Jesuits, he was drawn early to both literary and contemplative traditions, especially the common ground between creative and contemplative practices. His writing, research, and teaching focus on how we can use these practices to meet suffering and experience natural human capacities such as presence, courage, empathy, and awe. Collaborating closely with psychologists, artists, and clergy, he has designed and co-teaches courses such as Tools for a Meaningful Life, Meeting the Moment, and Love: History, Science, and Practice. He also co-leads Stanford’s Dalai Lama Fellowship program and retreats at the Tibetan center Ratna Ling. He belongs to the communities of the San Francisco Zen Center and Palo Alto Friends Meeting.