An Image Journal with Commentary, Meditation, Philosophy, and Unanswered Questions

An Ongoing Project

A wide range of topics, anthology style in nature, combining image and text

A new Kokoro installment every other month or so

Perpetually available, always free

More about Kokoro and the philosophy behind this project

 

	Kokoro, Vol. 9, No. 1 April 2024 A single PDF 39 pages, 55mB Perpetually available, always free Includes a single project in five parts: 172 - Silver Thaw The Chaos of the storm Crystal Trees Ice Skies The Road Home Shelter from the Storm What are "sketches"? A short introduction. Selected "sketches" from Kokoro are now available in printed, 8-page chapbooks, signed by Brooks and including the purchaser's name and date in the colophon. Details and available titles
	Kokoro, Vol. 8, No. 3 August 2022 A single PDF 78 pages, 153mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 4 "sketches" projects in this issue: 168 - Sea Palms 169 - Big Wave 170 - Pacific Skies 171 - Drifting on the Black, Black Sea What are "sketches"? A short introduction. Selected "sketches" from Kokoro are now available in printed, 8-page chapbooks, signed by Brooks and including the purchaser's name and date in the colophon. Details and available titles
	Kokoro, Vol. 8, No. 2 April 2022 A single PDF 97 pages, 52mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 6 "sketches" projects in this issue: 162 - The Spirit of Mu Chi 163 - Upper Chambers 164 - I Lost My Wife 165 - Waiting for a Haiku 166 - An Eon of Rain 167 - The Herd What are "sketches"? A short introduction. Selected "sketches" from Kokoro are now available in printed, 8-page chapbooks, signed by Brooks and including the purchaser's name and date in the colophon. Details and available titles
	Kokoro, Vol. 8, No. 1 January 2022 A single PDF 102 pages, 183mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 6 "sketches" projects in this issue: 156 - Conflagration 157 - The Life of Pi 158 - The Light Give Rise to the Dark 159 - Just a Trickle 160 - Beyond My Imagination 161 - Booming Life, Prosperous Business What are "sketches"? A short introduction. Selected "sketches" from Kokoro are now available in printed, 8-page chapbooks, signed by Brooks and including the purchaser's name and date in the colophon. Details and available titles
	Kokoro, Vol. 7, No. 2 October 2021 A single PDF 117 pages, 138mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 4 "sketches" projects in this issue: 152 - Anasazi Afternoon 153 - The Kiss of Life 154 - Speak Friend and Enter 155 - Facing the Grand Canyon What are "sketches"? A short introduction. Selected "sketches" from Kokoro are now available in printed, 8-page chapbooks, signed by Brooks and including the purchaser's name and date in the colophon. Details and available titles
	Kokoro, Vol. 7, No. 1 August 2021 A single PDF 136 pages, 164mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 6 "sketches" projects in this issue: 146 - Contour, The Wheat of Least Resistance 147 - The Gods Are Pissed at Us 148 - More Dreams of Japan 149 - The Former Lake Abert 150 - Remembering Oliver 151 - Views from the Surface of Venus What are "sketches"? A short introduction. Selected "sketches" from Kokoro are now available in printed, 8-page chapbooks, signed by Brooks and including the purchaser's name and date in the colophon. Details and available titles I apologize for the gap of new Kokoro since last year. Life got in the way of my art life. Glad to be back.
	Kokoro, Vol. 6, No. 3 June 2020 A single PDF 119 pages, 92mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 6 "sketches" projects in this issue: 140 - Wisdom Inherited 141 - Pines in the Sky 142 - Gratitude 143 - Fog in the Hills and Aits 144 - Human, Not Human 145 - Protection from Evil What are "sketches"? A short introduction. Selected "sketches" from Kokoro are now available in printed, 8-page chapbooks, signed by Brooks and including the purchaser's name and date in the colophon. Details and available titles
	Kokoro, Vol. 6, No. 2 April 2020 A single PDF 87 pages, 68mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 4 "sketches" projects in this issue: 136 - Whispers and Mysteries 137 - Silent Waves 138 - Finding Kyoto 139 - Faces in the Rock What are "sketches"? A short introduction. Selected "sketches" from Kokoro are now available in printed, 8-page chapbooks, signed by Brooks and including the purchaser's name and date in the colophon. Details and available titles
	Kokoro, Vol. 6, No. 1 February 2020 A single PDF 79 pages, 58mB Perpetually available, always free In this issue: 135 - Sixty-six at Sixty-six
	Kokoro, Vol. 5, No. 6 December 2019 A single PDF 96 pages, 62mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 4 "sketches" projects in this issue: 131 - The Circle of Life 132 - Big Ceiling 133 - A Breath of Light 134 - Prairie Quiet What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 5, No. 5 October 2019 A single PDF 70 pages, 43mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 6 "sketches" projects in this issue: 125 - Thirst 126 - Grace and Beauty 127 - The End of Summer 128 - Hands of God 129 - Leaf Journeys 130 - Perch What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 5, No. 4 August 2019 A single PDF 76 pages, 40mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 4 "sketches" projects in this issue: 121 - Rodeo Hat 122 - The Love of Green 123 - A Straight Line from the Sun 124 - Whereabouts Unknown What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 5, No. 3 June 2019 A single PDF 105 pages, 64mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 4 "sketches" projects in this issue: 117 - Earth Nudes 118 - Cornered 119 - Unintended Beauty 120 - The Geometries of Shipbuilding What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 5, No. 2 April 2019 A single PDF 110 pages, 69mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 4 "sketches" projects in this issue: 113 - Patterns of Man, Patterns of Nature 114 - A Dark Place 115 - From Parts 116 - Tree Bones What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 5, No. 1 January 2019 A single PDF 107 pages, 54mB Perpetually available, always free In this issue: 112 - Dreams of Japan
	Kokoro, Vol. 4, No. 4 October 2018 A single PDF 68 pages, 68mB Perpetually available, always free And introducing in this issue, "One-Picture Stories" Includes 4 "sketches" projects in this issue: 108 - Yellow, Oh My 109 - How Rosie Won the War 110 - A Sea of Tiles 111 - Cosmic Jackrabbit Samurai Warrior What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 4, No. 3 July 2018 A single PDF 56 pages, 43mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 4 "sketches" projects in this issue: 104 - Blue Fog of Winter 105 - Electric Skies 106 - Yangpu Salt 107 - Lace Memories What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 4, No. 2 May 2018 A single PDF 68 pages, 42mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 7 "sketches" projects in this issue: 097 - Life in Space 098 - Brushed Into Stone 099 - We Accept This Food 100 - Future Soil 101 - Simple Faith 102 - Moments Across the Divide 103 - Deep Forest Fern What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 4, No. 1 March 2018 A single PDF 47 pages, 47mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 4 "sketches" projects in this issue: 093 - Hawaiian Canopy 094 - Offworld 095 - The Staccato of Life 096 - The Fisherman with One Eye What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 3, No. 4 December 2017 A single PDF 54 pages, 23mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 4 "sketches" projects in this issue: 089 - Too Much, Too Fast 090 - Like Catching Water with a Net 091 - Adrift in the Mists of West Lake 092 - Buddhas in the Cliffs What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 3, No. 3 October 2017 A single PDF 45 pages, 43mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 4 "sketches" projects in this issue: 085 - David's Maple 086 - Scrub Brush 087 - Hung to Dry 088 - Waiting for the Fire What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 3, No. 2 September 2017 A single PDF 48 pages, 44mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 4 "sketches" projects in this issue: 081 - Lost at Sea 082 - The Shortness of Life 083 - Where Are You, Laozi? 084 - Not For Your Eyes What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 3, No. 1 August 2017 A single PDF 56 pages, 34mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 4 "sketches" projects in this issue: 077 - Searching for Su T'ung Po 078 - A Skyful of Joy 079 - The Boatwright's Challenge 080 - The True Form What are "sketches"? A short introduction.

 

Legacy issues
	Kokoro, Vol. 2, No. 2 Feb 2016 A single PDF 65 pages, 26mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 5 "sketches" projects in this issue: 072 - Just Stuff 073 - An Organic Silence 074 - Real Time 075 - Only the Surface 076 - Seagulp What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 2, No. 1 Jan 2016 A single PDF 86 pages, 51mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 5 "sketches" projects in this issue: 067 - Waiting Under a Winter Moon, Part 2 068 - The Signs of Anger Remain 069 - The Corn Winnower 070 - Nothing Special 071 - Glimpses of Old Japan What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 1, No. 9 Dec 2015 A single PDF 99 pages, 51mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 8 "sketches" projects in this issue: 059 - Granite Home 060 - Separate Ways 061 - Longquan Swords 062 - Shoji: In Praise of Shadows 063 - Waterpocket Fold 064 - Let it Snow 065 - Beauty in Detail 066 - Face to Face Across Time What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 1, No. 8 Aug-Nov 2015 A single PDF 69 pages, 42mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 5 "sketches" projects in this issue: 054 - Waiting Under a Winter Moon 055 - Where the Coqui Live 056 - The Woodgrain Deep in My Bones 057 - Dreams of Spring 058 - Thankful What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 1, No. 7 July 2015 A single PDF 45 pages, 22mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 3 "sketches" projects in this issue: 051 - Tensleep 052 - The Water Planet 045 - Cinder & Pine What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 1, No. 6 June 2015 A single PDF 116 pages, 60mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 8 "sketches" projects in this issue: 043 - Factory Butte 044 - A Place to Rest These Weary Bones 045 - Silva Lacrimosa 046 - Poe in Pictures 047 - Cold on a Cosmic Scale 048 - The Impossible Puzzle 049 - Japanese Ghosts 050 - Timon What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 1, No. 5 May 2015 A single PDF 109 pages, 63mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 8 "sketches" projects in this issue: 035 - Life Itself, Part 1 036 - Life Itself, Part 2 037 - Intermission in Green and Brown 038 - The Priest of Tozen-in 039 - A Few of the Billion 040 - The Eat Cafe 041 - A Lesson Learned, Again 042 - Circular Logic What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 1, No. 4 April 2015 A single PDF 87 pages, 35mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 7 "sketches" projects in this issue: 028 - Gone 029 - And Electricity 030 - As We Are 031 - Home Base 032 - October Seas 033 - The Bamboo Cutters 034 - Hilo Palms What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 1, No. 3 March 2015 A single PDF 96 pages, 45mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 8 "sketches" projects in this issue: 020 - At Home in the Rocks 021 - Work and Real Work 022 - The Chinese Way 023 - Gestures of a Primitive Mind 024 - Pooh's Gorse 025 - The Source 026 - Lesser Fleas 027 - Joe Sasak What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 1, No. 2 February 2015 A single PDF 66 pages, 25mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 7 "sketches" projects in this issue: 013 - Life Lived in Moments 014 - Dark Waters 015 - Freedom 016 - Uncle Kenny 017 - Dem Bones 018 - Wall of Tears 019 - Clara's Garden What are "sketches"? A short introduction.
	Kokoro, Vol. 1, No. 1 January 2015 A single PDF 95 pages, 37mB Perpetually available, always free Includes 12 "sketches" projects in this issue: 001 - I Am Born 002 - Wyoming Dust 003 - Thank You, Johannes Folder 004 - Time 005 - With Love, Grandpa Apple 006 - Life with Broom 007 - Enso 008 - Basho's Narrow Path 009 - Clouds 010 - Memento Mori 011 - Petals of Power 012 - Order in the Chaos What are "sketches"? A short introduction.

And check out Backstage Kokoro A behind the scenes look at selected images in my Kokoro project. Content, photographic notes, EXIF data, creative process, and miscellaneous commentary.

 

Kokoro — Japanese for "the heart of things"

Perhaps Lafcadio Hearn will not protest too much if I paraphrase (almost word for word) from Kokoro, his 1895 book of Japanese life. He explains this important Japanese term far better than I ever could:

“The entries comprising this volume treat of the inner rather than the outer life, — for which reason they have been grouped under the title Kokoro (heart). Written with the above character, this word signifies also mind, in the emotional sense; spirit; courage; resolve; sentiment; affection; and inner meaning, — just as we say in English, ‘the heart of things.’”