Category: Poetry

Posted on

William James – Varieties of Riligious Experiences + Brad Pitt Epilogue

William James, known as an original thinker, was born on Jan. 11, 1842. (Sun, moon, venus, mercury, saturn, jupitar, mars all in capricorn – a sign known for prudence, discipline, ambition, perception, careful & practical).
“Cognizant that the traditional theologies of his day were crumbling under the assault of scientific materialism, he recognized that the search for meaning would necessarily and stubbornly persist. Both scientific and humanistic in his methodology, he avoided reductionism. It was the mystery of the thing that interested William James, the long documentary record, and he chose to treat his subject with ultimate respect as well as honest eyes, aware of both its lunatic shadows and its luminous core. Assuming the stance of neither believer nor skeptic, he chose simply to bear honest witness to the patterns he saw. ” More here, and here.

James on War, here.
About his family here.
Quotations by William James, here.
Gertrude Stein was his favorite student, here is the famous story .
***************~~~~~@%@%~~~~~****************************
Variety of different kind as a short movie here, free from Jen, Brad Pitt reciting Andre Bretons poem.

Posted on

Collaboration of the Century in Paris – Trisha Brown – Czeslow Milosz – Laurie Anderson

Trisha Brown
“Last Friday, in the first of 11 performances through Dec. 31, “O zlozony/O composite” was given an enthusiastic reception. One Paris critic described it as “a major work.” Brigitte Lefèvre, director of the opera ballet said the audience responded with “a wave of love”.

she developed an alphabet – literally A to Z – of “simple and pure gestures, reminiscent of the ballet lexicon.” These were then organized into sequences by using two poems, St. Vincent Millay’s “Renascence” and Milosz’s “Ode to a Bird”, which serve as kinds of librettos for movement, although not as narratives.

The title of the piece is taken from Milosz’s poem, which begins in its English translation with “O composite,/O unconscious.” The poem, recited in a sensual voice in Polish, is also integrated into Ms. Anderson’s haunting score. And a bird is even suggested in the choreography.”
( Nytimes /Arts- Dec.23/2004)

Trisha Brown recieved the highest cultural award from France. (Dec17, 2004)

Trish and Laurie having collaobrated before, the two have been making history for the quarter of century.