Ramadan as Ritual Return

Islam’s holy month is a remembrance of our origin story.

Artist: Kimio Muraoka

The Islamic holy month of Ramadan began this morning. I’m sitting at my desk in a modified fast, some water and some floral cigarettes as part of my writing ritual — but no food till sunset. It’s not an entirely unusual form of practice. I remember a conversation I had a while ago with a decorated Muslim man who admitted he had…