So much in your essay resonates with me, Grant, including the idea of “viewing coincidences as an entrée into understanding our lives in a more sacred way.” Borrowing from Jung, I call them synchronicities. And I love your reference to David Milch’s claim that writing “should be a going out in spirit.” Thanks for this.
Thanks so much, Robin! I love "synchronicities." Coincidences ask us to wake up, I think, and to notice possibilities, which is a going out in spirit. I love Jung.
It’s funny how reading the right thing at the right time can open one’s heart and tear down barriers. Your words will fuel me to tell my story with an open heart with one hand holding all that connects us in this scared act of writing. Thank you.
Speaking of coincidences....this essay coincided with a fresh audiobook credit and Milch's memoir in my wish list. Milch is an incredible storyteller. Deadwood, like NYPD before it (ok, the first x seasons of NYPD. Pick your point where it turned), was rich and profane and full of people being human.
The only thing I hold against Milch is that we didn't see Andy Sipowicz take Theo to Disney. We were only told that it happened...
Oh, wow, I bet Milch's memoir is fascinating. How could it not be? I like your phrase "full of people being human." That's the main recipe for good storytelling.
So much wisdom in this. Couldn’t agree more, but I too often forget. individuation and writing—as we perhaps sometimes write for the Other—the Self, the soul, or an essential part of being that conjures the creative, the dreamer, Wu, the inner Tao. Now I’m thinking, I do this with poetry more often than not.
"The Courage to Be" by Paul Tillich is about the courage to be alone. A man famed psychologist Harry Murray said he would be one of the 20th century's greatest existential philosophers if he hadn't had a protestant minister father.
I took a two-year course he taught on the history of philosophy. He was less interested in what people thought than why philosophies changed. Economics, science, war? From the Greek to Sartre.
The final exam was one question [I don't remember the specifics], but it was about what philosopher X would say about a topic and what philosopher B would say.
Neither had ever answered the question before. It designed to test your understanding, not your memory.
You know, I read Tillich more than 30 years ago and always meant to return to him. Thanks for the reminder. That must have been such a gift to study with him. Love the exam question.
So much in your essay resonates with me, Grant, including the idea of “viewing coincidences as an entrée into understanding our lives in a more sacred way.” Borrowing from Jung, I call them synchronicities. And I love your reference to David Milch’s claim that writing “should be a going out in spirit.” Thanks for this.
Thanks so much, Robin! I love "synchronicities." Coincidences ask us to wake up, I think, and to notice possibilities, which is a going out in spirit. I love Jung.
"I believe that the self clouds or blinds vision, so becoming a good writer and becoming enlightened essentially go hand-in-hand." Yes!
It’s funny how reading the right thing at the right time can open one’s heart and tear down barriers. Your words will fuel me to tell my story with an open heart with one hand holding all that connects us in this scared act of writing. Thank you.
I'm so glad this resonated, Dona—and that you read it at the right time. May your words gush ...
Speaking of coincidences....this essay coincided with a fresh audiobook credit and Milch's memoir in my wish list. Milch is an incredible storyteller. Deadwood, like NYPD before it (ok, the first x seasons of NYPD. Pick your point where it turned), was rich and profane and full of people being human.
The only thing I hold against Milch is that we didn't see Andy Sipowicz take Theo to Disney. We were only told that it happened...
Oh, wow, I bet Milch's memoir is fascinating. How could it not be? I like your phrase "full of people being human." That's the main recipe for good storytelling.
Thank you for this. Very interesting! I love the LA vibe image.
So much wisdom in this. Couldn’t agree more, but I too often forget. individuation and writing—as we perhaps sometimes write for the Other—the Self, the soul, or an essential part of being that conjures the creative, the dreamer, Wu, the inner Tao. Now I’m thinking, I do this with poetry more often than not.
Thanks for the post—
Thanks so much for your nice words, Armand. I like your list of the Other, and how all of the things on the list are a type of muse.
"The Courage to Be" by Paul Tillich is about the courage to be alone. A man famed psychologist Harry Murray said he would be one of the 20th century's greatest existential philosophers if he hadn't had a protestant minister father.
I took a two-year course he taught on the history of philosophy. He was less interested in what people thought than why philosophies changed. Economics, science, war? From the Greek to Sartre.
The final exam was one question [I don't remember the specifics], but it was about what philosopher X would say about a topic and what philosopher B would say.
Neither had ever answered the question before. It designed to test your understanding, not your memory.
You know, I read Tillich more than 30 years ago and always meant to return to him. Thanks for the reminder. That must have been such a gift to study with him. Love the exam question.
I don’t need to write down my coincidences, I live them everyday. But first I had to learn to listen.
I am fascinated and entertained with coincidences, synchronicity . . . whatever word/label to put on it. It's intriguing.