I had the great delight of speaking with Oren Jay Sofer, just as he was fresh off a month-long silent retreat.  The timing couldn't be better, as the bulk of what we discussed relates to silent retreat culture, both its strengths and limitations.  We ended up discussing communication and social practice quite a bit as well, including touching on some of the practices that he teaches in his new book, "Say What you Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication."  I've known Oren now for a several years, through my wife Emily, and my respect for him as a teacher and human being continues to grow.  I hope you enjoy our conversation on the limits of retreat culture.