It’s All God, Anyway

Jennifer (Jinks) Hoffmann's loving and lingering attentiveness to the wonders of the world around her suffuses every poem in this deeply reverent but always earthbound book. While her own perspective is rooted in Judaism and Jungian psychology, her heart and mind are open and welcoming to the ways of others. The poems, with their profound respect for mystery, passion for connection, and gratitude for the lavish gifts of existence, will surely beguile readers into accepting Hoffmann's embracing invitation: "deepen your own covenant with life."

─Judith Viorst, author of Necessary Losses and other non-fiction, fiction, and poetry books for adults and children



Jennifer (Jinks) Hoffmann is a poet who stands with one foot firmly planted in the Eternal, and the other in the joys and sorrows of daily life. With an extraordinary breadth of poetic vision, Hoffmann unifies these two realms in a state of being she calls "God." This is not the biblical deity of Sunday or Sabbath school, but the thread of mystery that illuminates the mundane, that invites us to ecstasy, that penetrates and disturbs the ego's hardest armor. In her unpretentious and available style, Hoffmann spurs us to seek and find God in the most unlikely places, while always reminding us that nothing in life is separate from the divine. This is a singular and important collection. These poems will change your life.

─Jason Ranek, author of The Crossing and In the Garden of the Midnight Sun



Our job is to be a living psalm, Jinks observes, and this luminous collection of poetry points the way. Hoffmann's work will transport you to another realm while rooting you more deeply wherever you dwell. Entrust your journey to this gifted teacher and beloved guide. Her verse will enliven your days and expand your heart.

─Diane M. Millis, PhD, spiritual director, teacher, and author of Deepening Engagement: Essential Wisdom for Leading with Purpose, Meaning, and Joy and Conversation--The Sacred Art



It's All God, Anyway is a collection of prayerful poems that invite us to see the mysterious, loving unity that underlies all of reality. Hoffmann adroitly locates this sacred unity in the universe's multiplicity, which she offers us in graphic, moving detail. She extends her hand to readers of this heartfelt volume, taking us on a journey that moves and changes us.

─Rabbi Jacob Staub, Professor of Jewish Philosophy and Spirituality at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College



Whenever I read Jinks I learn something. But I do not read Jinks' poetry only for instruction. I savor these poems because they open windows in my heart and soul. And because they make me smile. These are poems to experience, because they are invitations to see and celebrate, to taste gladness and delight, to embrace and be embraced by the presence of God and the sacred in the exquisite and unadorned present moment; yes, even in the shmutz. A great reminder that the unvarnished ordinary is the vessel of the holy fullness of life."

─Rev. Terry Hershey, Protestant Minister, dad, garden designer, wine lover, and author of Soul Gardening and Sanctuary: Creating a Space for Grace in our Life



This book invites you into a sacred conversation between Jinks and her ever present God, in the ordinary and the everyday--on the windy beach, in her dreams, in the smile on her granddaughter's face. Jinks has the courage to keep fronting up, to stay still in the dark spaces, knowing there are gifts to be gleaned. The poems fill you with a joy that makes you feel understood--as if someone has seen into your heart and read its lines. This book places inner work as the most important work we can do. The work is subtle, difficult and relentless, but I see the fruits of this work in the extraordinary person of Jinks. She delights in the work of others, her love and understanding are endless and she is the most self aware person I've ever met.

─Kristen Hobby, spiritual director, retreat leader and meditation teacher, and author of Nurturing a Gentle Heart, which explores spirituality for pre-schoolers



In 2001, I was blessed to meet the poet and person that is Jennifer (Jinks) Hoffmann. To quote her own words, her verse, born of exploring the God-pumps of life, tears your heart open while leading you to a place where the hidden and visible meet. Jinks helps you recall what your heart knows but has forgotten: that the rush of mystery frightens a little, that we are called to love not only when life is gentle. If you open the door to the worlds contained within this book's covers chances are good that indeed… God may walk in."

─Rabbi Howard Avruhm Addison, PhD. Associate Professor for Instruction, Temple University. Director, Jewish Spirituality Program. Graduate Theological Foundation