The following is the final post I made for the class Literature for a Living Planet, led by Becca Deysach. It was a beautifully enriching class, with so many powerful readings and discussions.
This post was written in response to Deysach's prompts:
So, we have spent the past three months reading and discussing a range of literature, writing our own, and reflecting upon the process in our journals... all with the purpose of investigating the role that literature can play in encouraging a cultural shift towards a paradigm that supports a "living planet".
So here, I ask you... what role, if any, CAN literature play in humans' relationship with the earth? What influence has literature had on YOUR relationship with the wild earth? And, if literature does have a role to play in healthifying our relationship with the planet, where do you see yourself in that process? And if there is anything else you would like to share in regard to your learnings this semester, this is the place to do so!
I believed in the critical role that literature and all creativity plays in supporting a living planet already, but it has been evermore reinforced for me throughout this class.
I have such a soft spot for incredible writing, and it generally serves as a portal for me for deep healing. I am wont to get emotional and moved reading inspirational writing, witnessing powerful writing on the screen, or in the co-creative space of conversation. I often talk about how particular TV shows and movies act as a Bible for me, I'm always able to glean deep truths from them. Sometimes I get the impression that even the writers of the show don't realize the Divine Truth flowing through them.
I just finished the first season of Daredevil, Marvel's newest release. I blew through all 13 episodes in just a few days, and it is the most shining example of what I'm talking about. Yes, it is a super hero story. Yes, it is extremely violent. But the writing is SO INCREDIBLE. There are so many overarching themes of morality and human struggle, so many powerful questions come up, and impeccable production quality, directing, and acting to boot.
I am so taken by it because it frames the struggle we all currently face in harsh, real terms. The story serves as both a literal interpretation of corporate power and the 1%, but also serves as a beautiful metaphor of us all facing our demons, and learning how to live with the "devil within."
To tie this back to our work in this semester, I feel like as we continue to participate in the destructive patterns of our paradigm, we all struggle with the devil within. We have this devil clawing its way out of us, addiction and apathy are its symptoms. It's okay that there is a devil within, we all have our shadows. Daredevil is all about Matt Murdock's journey in facing his devil, and transforming it into a powerful symbol, his fall from grace and wrestling with his anger, and what his anger might do. He sees injustice and gets angry, and plows through the bad guys with his fists, and yet that isn't enough. He is on the brink of becoming a murderer, a line he knows he shouldn't cross. He learns how to reframe it and deal with those injustices with ingenuity, creating other angles where before there were none.
Through the whole season he struggles being just a man in a mask, unable to figure out his role and how to affect the change he wishes to see. In the end he figures out how to stop those who perpetuate violence and suffering in a way that does not destroy him in the process. He raises the devil within and transforms it into unadulterated purpose and action, and becomes Daredevil, a symbol of hope for his community. He embodies the change he wishes to see in the world, and doesn't compromise his values. In the end he transforms from a man hiding behind his mask into Daredevil, the savior of people. It's really quite beautiful, and I highly recommend it. It is all streaming on Netflix, who produced the show as a "Netflix original."
I go into all this detail here because this is the most recent example of literature of a living planet, for me. It doesn't directly address ecology or the earth, but it addresses the very real and tangible struggle we all face. I face these issues through a social justice lens, as opposed to the land-based healing lens. I want to work with people and more diligently understand internal emotional processes, and so Daredevil does a perfect job of this for me.
Stories help us to digest the circumstances of our life. Metaphor has the ability to fit neatly to our unique perceptions and either tear them down, or validate them. Or both. It is a way for us to zoom out and perceive our life from a witnessing poise, a way to look at our life without being so wrapped up in it. These various forms of literature help me to zoom out. It's almost like we put on glasses that allow us to see through the lens of the author, allow us to look into our life through their perspective. It helps to discolor our perception and gain some objectivity about who we are and what we are doing here.
Powerful stuff. Thank you for listening!
This post was written in response to Deysach's prompts:
So, we have spent the past three months reading and discussing a range of literature, writing our own, and reflecting upon the process in our journals... all with the purpose of investigating the role that literature can play in encouraging a cultural shift towards a paradigm that supports a "living planet".
So here, I ask you... what role, if any, CAN literature play in humans' relationship with the earth? What influence has literature had on YOUR relationship with the wild earth? And, if literature does have a role to play in healthifying our relationship with the planet, where do you see yourself in that process? And if there is anything else you would like to share in regard to your learnings this semester, this is the place to do so!
I believed in the critical role that literature and all creativity plays in supporting a living planet already, but it has been evermore reinforced for me throughout this class.
I have such a soft spot for incredible writing, and it generally serves as a portal for me for deep healing. I am wont to get emotional and moved reading inspirational writing, witnessing powerful writing on the screen, or in the co-creative space of conversation. I often talk about how particular TV shows and movies act as a Bible for me, I'm always able to glean deep truths from them. Sometimes I get the impression that even the writers of the show don't realize the Divine Truth flowing through them.
I just finished the first season of Daredevil, Marvel's newest release. I blew through all 13 episodes in just a few days, and it is the most shining example of what I'm talking about. Yes, it is a super hero story. Yes, it is extremely violent. But the writing is SO INCREDIBLE. There are so many overarching themes of morality and human struggle, so many powerful questions come up, and impeccable production quality, directing, and acting to boot.
I am so taken by it because it frames the struggle we all currently face in harsh, real terms. The story serves as both a literal interpretation of corporate power and the 1%, but also serves as a beautiful metaphor of us all facing our demons, and learning how to live with the "devil within."
To tie this back to our work in this semester, I feel like as we continue to participate in the destructive patterns of our paradigm, we all struggle with the devil within. We have this devil clawing its way out of us, addiction and apathy are its symptoms. It's okay that there is a devil within, we all have our shadows. Daredevil is all about Matt Murdock's journey in facing his devil, and transforming it into a powerful symbol, his fall from grace and wrestling with his anger, and what his anger might do. He sees injustice and gets angry, and plows through the bad guys with his fists, and yet that isn't enough. He is on the brink of becoming a murderer, a line he knows he shouldn't cross. He learns how to reframe it and deal with those injustices with ingenuity, creating other angles where before there were none.
Through the whole season he struggles being just a man in a mask, unable to figure out his role and how to affect the change he wishes to see. In the end he figures out how to stop those who perpetuate violence and suffering in a way that does not destroy him in the process. He raises the devil within and transforms it into unadulterated purpose and action, and becomes Daredevil, a symbol of hope for his community. He embodies the change he wishes to see in the world, and doesn't compromise his values. In the end he transforms from a man hiding behind his mask into Daredevil, the savior of people. It's really quite beautiful, and I highly recommend it. It is all streaming on Netflix, who produced the show as a "Netflix original."
I go into all this detail here because this is the most recent example of literature of a living planet, for me. It doesn't directly address ecology or the earth, but it addresses the very real and tangible struggle we all face. I face these issues through a social justice lens, as opposed to the land-based healing lens. I want to work with people and more diligently understand internal emotional processes, and so Daredevil does a perfect job of this for me.
Stories help us to digest the circumstances of our life. Metaphor has the ability to fit neatly to our unique perceptions and either tear them down, or validate them. Or both. It is a way for us to zoom out and perceive our life from a witnessing poise, a way to look at our life without being so wrapped up in it. These various forms of literature help me to zoom out. It's almost like we put on glasses that allow us to see through the lens of the author, allow us to look into our life through their perspective. It helps to discolor our perception and gain some objectivity about who we are and what we are doing here.
Powerful stuff. Thank you for listening!