Wednesday 17 March 2010

THE MAGIC BRIDGE: Crossing Over From Achievement to Surrender-Herbert Barks

I want to drop in news of a new book by Mr. Barks this week. No, not our friend Coleman, but his brother Herbert-who has just written a beautiful new commentary on the old Russian tale, "The Hunter and the Horse of Power", elegantly but grittily woven through certain scenes and challenges from his own life, which are no less interesting i must say. His book reminds me of the old story Joe Campbell used to tell, that it was the female students at Sarah Lawrence College that took his high flying mythological ideas and ground them in the business of our everyday love affairs, low down depressions and side ways swipes at God. Herb's book does just that-spacious, uncomplicated prose handling fierce ideas. I must have told and taught that story dozens of times and he is unearthing all kinds of muddy gold that never knocked on my door. The business of an elder no less, it's a wonderful thing he has been generous enough to write it for the rest of us hungry crows to slowly gobble.

Get a copy today from maypop books at

www.colemanbarks.com

Get two, it will be christmas soon enough. Finally, someone unafraid to wrote mythopoetically again.

Ahh, but i can't have one Barks without a joyful yelp of the other. Please spend careful savings, gamble aunties ring, take up bare-knuckle boxing for chump change, lap dance for angry welshmen, offer tea cup divination to the Archbishop of Canterbury, but get to California and join us for,,,drum roll maestro...


POINT REYES BOOKS
&
WESTCOUNTRY SCHOOL OF MYTH AND STORY

PRESENT

COLEMAN BARKS, MARTIN SHAW, LISA STARR, DAVID DARLING (who just got himself a gramm
y)

LEAVING THE VILLAGE, FINDING THE FOREST
exploring the soul and the land in poetry, myth and music

Over two evenings and a day each artist will perform, teach and collaborate from their specific discipline, a cello taking flight, the refrain from some old stories, the call and response of ancient words. Starting with an evening performance in the sweetness of the village and ending the following evening round a fire out in the forest, this is a rare opportunity to join world renowned poet and translator of Rumi, Coleman Barks, award-winning British storyteller, Martin Shaw, Poet Laureate of Rhode Island, Lisa Starr, and Grammy Award nominated musician, David Darling in a daylong workshop exploring language, landscape and ritual at the Pt Reyes National Seashore's exquisite Kule Loklo.

June 18th and 19th 2010
Toby’s Feed Barn
Kule Loklo Coast Miwok Village
Point Reyes, California
UNITED STATES

For details and registration: www.ptreyesbooks.com

Thank you for all that came to PARZIVAL last weekend. I have just about got the lance splinters out of my coat, i have cleaned my armor of rust, and have quietly replaced the Grail to Anfortas. More soon compadres,
M x

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