Cultural Mythology: Myth, culture, and consciousness

A carpenter's life

There are people who know themselves and what they serve, who grow wise through love. Larry Haun was one of those rare individuals. He taught me a lot in the short time that I knew him. Larry was the kind of man that you can admire and love, who quietly set an example of good character without preaching. He died of cancer earlier this week.

The last time we were together, we walked in gardens near his home on the Oregon coast, talked about gardening and Shambala and the mystery contained in seeds, and marveled at the flowers. 

Larry was an amazing carpenter. He taught many the craft (including my husband) and wrote books on the topic that are well-used classics. He was a good storyteller and I'm grateful that he finished his autobiography before he died. This book is one piece of Larry's beautiful legacy to us all.

Hear Larry reading from A Carpenter's Life

A Carpenter's Life As Told By Houses is available at amazon.com.

The photo appears in Fine Homebuilding, where Larry was a regular contributor.

You can also read more about Larry Haun and A Carpenter's Life As Told By Houses in the New York Times. Thank you Larry, for your well-lived life, and for giving me a glimpse of how it can be done.

Day to Day Dante

I'm really please to announce that Day to Day Dante, the most recent book by Dr. Dennis Slattery, is now available. Dr. Slattery was one of my professors at Pacifica and his enthusiasm for Dante is contagious. A poet himself, Dennis brings great scholarship, insight, and appreciation for the spirit of words to Dante's magnificent poem.

According to Dennis, his book is not just another a self-help manual designed to make sense of life. Day to Day Dante introduces the reader to one of the great poems of individual maturation in Western literature and guides the reader to explore with greater fullness and depth his/her own myth, the life story one is living. The passages on each page serve as passageways or corridors into understanding many of the shared sufferings and joys of being human, regardless of one’s belief system or religious persuasion and facilitate deeper reflection on one's personal journey.

I just purchased my copy. If you check it out, please contact me and share your experience.

Day to Day Dante on amazon

Here is One Sin, One Book, a poem by Dennis Slattery.

Beyond conscious purposes

"It takes a long time to learn that nothing is wasted. It takes a long time, and a lot of suffering usually, to understand that there is more to life and more to poetry than our conscious purposes."--M.C. Richards

from Centering: In Pottery, Poetry, and the Person. Based on emails and comments that I received about some of the poetry posted here, I think some of you would really like this book.

Some pots I threw eighteen years ago that are all still in use as far as I know. I eat half of my meals from the flat brown one (actually, it's coil constructed). The small cup is raku glazed, which is a lot of fun if you ever get the chance to try it.