From the start, the Wonderstruck essays have been both humanist and metaphysical, originating in a profound belief that life is not entirely random... and that the intention of the universal and infinite works itself out through the interactions that we have with one another and all the world around us. The time is ripe for optimism.

Everything that you read in these pages is 100% true, if much of it wildly improbable. I have lived my questions, as Rilke once recommended to a young poet, and these essays are a record of my progress, gradually, without perhaps even noticing it, toward living into my own answers.

I invite you to question my experience, to ponder whether such a universe can actually exist. You may find it hard to believe, as it may defy your own experience of the world.

But be patient with my words, especially if they resonate, and read them slowly. And also be patient with your own journey as you live your own questions.

The essays in this collection are presented in the order in which they were first published, starting in April 2018, and focus on the philosophical and metaphysical underpinnings of the state of wonder.