Inspiring Spiritual

and Social Consciousness

As director of the test ban coalition, I built relationships with Members of Congress based on love and respect. My memoir, Love Changes Things, Even in the World of Politics, recounts this work.

In 2003, my husband Thom Cronkhite and I moved to the Fiji Islands for five years, then on to Ecuador and Mexico, teaching meditation and peacemaking skills to government leaders and others in each country. 

Meditation group in Oaxaca, Mexico

Ecuadoran children visit us in Cotacachi

About Caroline

While working toward my PhD at Vanderbilt University, I staffed the Metropolitan Nashville Community Education Task Force composed of members of the state legislature, Metropolitan Council, Mayor's office, and school board, as well as the Superintendent of Schools. We created a countywide effort that funded community education centers, health services, adult education, and after-school care at public schools throughout the county.

Later, I directed Tennessee Common Cause, then moved to DC to lead the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign and the  US coalition of 75 organizations that helped end nuclear test explosions in Nevada and the Soviet Union. Both conducted their last tests by 1992.

Who Am I in This Grand Universe?

While in Fiji, Thom and I wrote The Isle of Is: A Guide to Awakening. I created a spiritual, character development program for the Ministry of Youth called “Seeds of Success,” now taught to thousands of Fijians each year.

Formerly on the faculty of Vanderbilt University and Watkins School of Art&Design, I teach memoir and other writing courses in community settings. I also lead a group of activists dedicated to helping improve the functioning of the U.S. government. Together, Thom and I host a weekly meditation group online and a monthly meeting with our spiritual community in Oaxaca, Mexico.

I live in Greensboro, North Carolina, with Thom and our cats, Suki and Shanti. We share our yard with over 20 species of wild birds, including red-shouldered hawks, and several grey squirrels. I can count 300 oaks, hickories, and maples from our steps.

Who are we as humans, and what is our place in the universe? My years in Fiji helped me to understand that while we humans will continue to experience painful emotions, knowing who we are at an experiential level removes deep fear, doubt, anger, and grief, because we "get it" that, ultimately, all is well.

Speaking to this question, The Isle of Is: A Guide to Awakening presents spiritual tools in a light and accessible way that guide the reader to a place of peace, where they are not overwhelmed by their personal problems or the world's problems. All of nature comes alive and shares its wisdom. We hear from Conscious Caterpillar, Buda Bug, a raven called Is-is, and a chorus of waves, among others. "This is Heaven, man," one says. Another tells us, "On the Isle of Is, ye have whatever ye need."

Our place in the universe is also a theme in my upcoming poetry collection, Passage to Fiji. Stay tuned for when this work-in-progress will arrive!