KW. Sheldon here from the Psychotherapist and the Shaman. Your substack, Until We Are Called Upon to Rise--Substack 2024: Faith, Persistence, Credibility and Patience has inspired the topic of my next substack, “The Matter of the Heart and the Heart of Matter.” I’d like to share your reference to Rumi’s quote and Emily Dickinson’s poem and quote your statements about “we are not the doers or the architects” . . .”there is another force in charge. ..” and “anything. . .any of us, may think or write or speak comes form a far higher authority.” And your reminder that “the great force which drives the universe—which creates all and which is the architect of all exists because it is freely given” and that it is our responsibility to “help give voice to it.” I’d like to set my post up with that intro, giving you credit of course, and posting a link to your substack for my followers to check out the complete post. Would that be ok with you? Thanks for considering my request. Sheldon
Thank you for showing us how the power of words can stimulate the imagination to dream a better world. James Hillman in discussing the groundbreaking work of Henry Corbin--scholar, philosopher, theologian and champion of the transformative power of the imagination--states quite clearly that the heart's characteristic action is not feeling but sight. The heart is the seat of the imagination and imagination is the authentic voice of the heart. Hillman goes on to say that the intention of the heart creates as real the figures of the imagination. The heart knows that the images we think we make up are actually presented to us as authentic beings. This makes our participation in the imaging heart central to connecting with the "great force which drives the universe" as "part of . . . [the] endless pageant of the living mind..." As your beautiful quote from Rumi says, "Only from the heart can you touch the sky."
Thank you for this beautiful comment. It is so true that our emotional heart center is the wise being in our evolution. Haven't read either James Hillman or Henry Corbin but will look them up. Thanks for the references.
James Hillman's little book, The Thought of the Heart and the Soul of the World is a thoughtful read to show us how to regain heart and soul and open a heart-felt connection to the world. Thanks again for your thoughtful, inspiring and at times challenging contributions to creating energy fields that vibrate with the evolving mind of the Universe.
I will read the book. Very interesting material from Hillman and Corbin!
You are so welcome to my attempts to ask questions and figure it out. Must say that our work in music keeps me in touch with the energy of the universe. Resonance!
I got my MFA in 2001 from the New School for Social Research and have been a journalist for 43 years on four continents, picking up awards along the way...which are merely clutter in my house. I'd like to fob them off on my enemies.
However, writing is one of the few things I do well in life. I learned from four sources:
1. My Creative Writing teacher, Frank McCourt. THAT Frank McCourt. Taught me about observation to ritual and detail.
2. Historian Walter Lord. Taught me the uses of time, human behavior in times of stress, descriptive words, and transitions.
3. My MFA instructors at the New School. Ever heard of the phrase "story arc?" I hadn't.
4. New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens. From watching him and hearing him pitch on the radio, I learned the biggest lesson of all: WRITING IS PITCHING. Pitches, selections, sequences, conditioning, velocity, location, movement. The batter is the hitter. The article is the game situation. The sentences and paragraphs are the pitch series. It goes from there.
Great comment thank you. Yes I once studied screen writing and love the story arc concept and the baseball analogy. As I used to be a competitive swimmer I have also compared it to swimming underwater with my breath held. As a musician and erstwhile drummer I also link to the rhythm and resonance we all are a part of.
Sports, action , engagement all fit into the game and sports analogies.
I studied screenwriting, too, under Meade Roberts, who worked with Tennessee Williams. Great guy. Learned a lot.
I could never understand poetry, so it didn't work for me. The only poem we ever did in school was "just spring" by "e.e. cummings," and my main reaction was that the guy needed to fix his broken typewriter.
The best-known baseball poem is "The Mighty Casey," of course, but I never liked it. It turned Casey into Bill Buckner or Ralph Branca, a guy who is only remembered for failure. Nobody knows that Buckner won two batting titles and is a borderline Hall of Famer. Nobody knows that Branca won 20 games twice, pitched in two World Series and an All-Star Game, and befriended Jackie Robinson in 1947. His career was not wrecked by Bobby Thomson, but by tripping on a soda bottle in 1952 and the subsequent injury. For all we know, the next day, the Mighty Casey went three-for-five with a great running catch to lead the Mudville Nine to a 5-4 victory.
The best baseball poem is Rolfe Humphries' "Polo Grounds."
Music is good, too...I have to have my playlist on when I write. I get motivated with "The Sopranos Theme," for example, which, interestingly enough, was David Cone's entrance music when he was with the Yankees.
Lol. Great comment once again. I can appreciate being bored by poetry and I have spent time there as well. I am not great enough at baseball and baseball literature but that i an impressive record and I will check out these recommendations.
As I tell our musicians all the time - leave it all on the cutting room floor - give it all away - nothing to hold onto - other than our fragile and expendable egos.
Don't worry about being good at baseball or not...it works for me. Poetry, music, and swimming work for you. Sewing might work for someone else. It's all how the writing mind can figure it out.
Thank you.
KW. Sheldon here from the Psychotherapist and the Shaman. Your substack, Until We Are Called Upon to Rise--Substack 2024: Faith, Persistence, Credibility and Patience has inspired the topic of my next substack, “The Matter of the Heart and the Heart of Matter.” I’d like to share your reference to Rumi’s quote and Emily Dickinson’s poem and quote your statements about “we are not the doers or the architects” . . .”there is another force in charge. ..” and “anything. . .any of us, may think or write or speak comes form a far higher authority.” And your reminder that “the great force which drives the universe—which creates all and which is the architect of all exists because it is freely given” and that it is our responsibility to “help give voice to it.” I’d like to set my post up with that intro, giving you credit of course, and posting a link to your substack for my followers to check out the complete post. Would that be ok with you? Thanks for considering my request. Sheldon
Thank you so much. I regularly get inspired by the writing of others here and give permission to share my material as is desired.
Always hoping we all properly credit each others work of course.
It is kind of you to think of my work as an inspiration and to formulate such a great request. I look forward to reading it!
That was a fun read...thank you for sharing!!!
Thank you for showing us how the power of words can stimulate the imagination to dream a better world. James Hillman in discussing the groundbreaking work of Henry Corbin--scholar, philosopher, theologian and champion of the transformative power of the imagination--states quite clearly that the heart's characteristic action is not feeling but sight. The heart is the seat of the imagination and imagination is the authentic voice of the heart. Hillman goes on to say that the intention of the heart creates as real the figures of the imagination. The heart knows that the images we think we make up are actually presented to us as authentic beings. This makes our participation in the imaging heart central to connecting with the "great force which drives the universe" as "part of . . . [the] endless pageant of the living mind..." As your beautiful quote from Rumi says, "Only from the heart can you touch the sky."
Thank you for this beautiful comment. It is so true that our emotional heart center is the wise being in our evolution. Haven't read either James Hillman or Henry Corbin but will look them up. Thanks for the references.
James Hillman's little book, The Thought of the Heart and the Soul of the World is a thoughtful read to show us how to regain heart and soul and open a heart-felt connection to the world. Thanks again for your thoughtful, inspiring and at times challenging contributions to creating energy fields that vibrate with the evolving mind of the Universe.
I will read the book. Very interesting material from Hillman and Corbin!
You are so welcome to my attempts to ask questions and figure it out. Must say that our work in music keeps me in touch with the energy of the universe. Resonance!
Such an amazing quote - I love this.
"Although we may believe we are living a petty little circumscribed life of no consequence - we could not be more wrong."
This, I am sure, you have correct.
Thanks, KW.
Thanks - and I certainly hope this is correct.
Great post. May you have a wonderful 2024 indeed, my friend!
Hang on to that art and writing - it is going to be a wild year! Have a wonderful one!
Right on. Will do. Back at you. Thanx!
Art is a gift, given freely with no expectation of praise or scorn. Thank you KW for showing up consistently and giving many that gift!
Great comment. It takes us all to do this - thank you and make 2024 great.
I got my MFA in 2001 from the New School for Social Research and have been a journalist for 43 years on four continents, picking up awards along the way...which are merely clutter in my house. I'd like to fob them off on my enemies.
However, writing is one of the few things I do well in life. I learned from four sources:
1. My Creative Writing teacher, Frank McCourt. THAT Frank McCourt. Taught me about observation to ritual and detail.
2. Historian Walter Lord. Taught me the uses of time, human behavior in times of stress, descriptive words, and transitions.
3. My MFA instructors at the New School. Ever heard of the phrase "story arc?" I hadn't.
4. New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens. From watching him and hearing him pitch on the radio, I learned the biggest lesson of all: WRITING IS PITCHING. Pitches, selections, sequences, conditioning, velocity, location, movement. The batter is the hitter. The article is the game situation. The sentences and paragraphs are the pitch series. It goes from there.
Great comment thank you. Yes I once studied screen writing and love the story arc concept and the baseball analogy. As I used to be a competitive swimmer I have also compared it to swimming underwater with my breath held. As a musician and erstwhile drummer I also link to the rhythm and resonance we all are a part of.
Sports, action , engagement all fit into the game and sports analogies.
I studied screenwriting, too, under Meade Roberts, who worked with Tennessee Williams. Great guy. Learned a lot.
I could never understand poetry, so it didn't work for me. The only poem we ever did in school was "just spring" by "e.e. cummings," and my main reaction was that the guy needed to fix his broken typewriter.
The best-known baseball poem is "The Mighty Casey," of course, but I never liked it. It turned Casey into Bill Buckner or Ralph Branca, a guy who is only remembered for failure. Nobody knows that Buckner won two batting titles and is a borderline Hall of Famer. Nobody knows that Branca won 20 games twice, pitched in two World Series and an All-Star Game, and befriended Jackie Robinson in 1947. His career was not wrecked by Bobby Thomson, but by tripping on a soda bottle in 1952 and the subsequent injury. For all we know, the next day, the Mighty Casey went three-for-five with a great running catch to lead the Mudville Nine to a 5-4 victory.
The best baseball poem is Rolfe Humphries' "Polo Grounds."
Music is good, too...I have to have my playlist on when I write. I get motivated with "The Sopranos Theme," for example, which, interestingly enough, was David Cone's entrance music when he was with the Yankees.
Lol. Great comment once again. I can appreciate being bored by poetry and I have spent time there as well. I am not great enough at baseball and baseball literature but that i an impressive record and I will check out these recommendations.
As I tell our musicians all the time - leave it all on the cutting room floor - give it all away - nothing to hold onto - other than our fragile and expendable egos.
Don't worry about being good at baseball or not...it works for me. Poetry, music, and swimming work for you. Sewing might work for someone else. It's all how the writing mind can figure it out.
So true - thanks. But baseball did not get to the level it has in our cultures without a solid reason. It is all in the swing of things.
Two-minute no-pun warning.... :)