Barbea Williams, Dancer/Choreographer. I recently
read Light From Ancient Africa, by Nayeem Akbar. Akbar
talks about African psychology, giving interesting facts about
the origin of psychology in Africa as compared to Western psychology.
He writes about his trip to Kemet (ancient Egypt). There seems
to be a much more spiritual quality in African psychology, more
of a collective, more of a whole. Africa is more community based
(than the Western world). Akbar talks about the age that we're
living in, the idea of science without wisdom. This seems to reflect
so much in terms of the problems that we're dealing with--like
pollution-- and how this reflects on society as a whole. It makes
sense to me. He also writes about the mysteries of the ka,
or the divine ka, and what it has to do with the soul.
(The book) has aspects of science that we know about today, but
it doesn't eliminate what we need to breathe and drink. It doesn't
leave out the concepts of pure water and pure air. All of that
has to be integrated...and manifest.
Debra Ruffner, Executive Director, Tucson Women's Commission.
I'm re-reading He, She, and It, by Marge Piercy. I enjoy
science fiction, written by women, dealing with gender issues.
Piercy has written a variety of books on issues pertaining to
women. In this book, she brings up gender issues of the future
and the integration of technology into what we consider a third
gender. It's about a woman's relationship not only with her family,
but also her growing relationship with the cyborg, an integration
of high-tech and human qualities. The book challenges our perception
of what's male and female, redeveloping our perception of what
actually is human. The woman character starts relating to and
believing that this machine is human. Piercy incorporates a lot
of history in her books, which I like. Another plot line is about
a Rabbi who's created a man of clay. Through his spiritual abilities,
he awakens a kind of consciousness in this "non-human"
entity.It's another way in which she examines what it means to
be human.
James DiGiovanna,Former Marvel Comics Editor/Freelance
Writer, on Pre-Raphaelites in Love by Gay Daly. I'm
interested in the Pre-Raphaelites because it's the first avant-garde
art movement where people got together, formed a manifesto, and
created a name for themselves. I think partly it's a response
to the loss of community around them. So they create their own
artificial community--they call it a brotherhood--and they attempt
to acquire meaning in their lives by adherence to the principles
of that brotherhood. This particular book is a lighter study of
them. It discusses their lives, how they deal with their girlfriends
and boyfriends. They have a very asceticised approach to romance.
For example, one of them attempts to live as though he were Dante
and his beloved was Beatrice, so he tries not to approach her
too closely, he keeps his distance. Another wants to have a marriage
based on Biblical principles he's drawn out of his own ascetic
reading of the Bible. So they have these very perverse and odd
relationships as a result of applying artistic ideals to their
lives. In a sense, they founded the notion of living your life
as an artwork, that all the aspects of your life should be ascetic.
Barbea Williams, Dancer/Choreographer. I recently
read Light From Ancient Africa, by Nayeem Akbar. Akbar
talks about African psychology, giving interesting facts about
the origin of psychology in Africa as compared to Western psychology.
He writes about his trip to Kemet (ancient Egypt). There seems
to be a much more spiritual quality in African psychology, more
of a collective, more of a whole. Africa is more community based
(than the Western world). Akbar talks about the age that we're
living in, the idea of science without wisdom. This seems to reflect
so much in terms of the problems that we're dealing with--like
pollution-- and how this reflects on society as a whole. It makes
sense to me. He also writes about the mysteries of the ka,
or the divine ka, and what it has to do with the soul.
(The book) has aspects of science that we know about today, but
it doesn't eliminate what we need to breathe and drink. It doesn't
leave out the concepts of pure water and pure air. All of that
has to be integrated...and manifest.
Debra Ruffner, Executive Director, Tucson Women's Commission.
I'm re-reading He, She, and It, by Marge Piercy. I enjoy
science fiction, written by women, dealing with gender issues.
Piercy has written a variety of books on issues pertaining to
women. In this book, she brings up gender issues of the future
and the integration of technology into what we consider a third
gender. It's about a woman's relationship not only with her family,
but also her growing relationship with the cyborg, an integration
of high-tech and human qualities. The book challenges our perception
of what's male and female, redeveloping our perception of what
actually is human. The woman character starts relating to and
believing that this machine is human. Piercy incorporates a lot
of history in her books, which I like. Another plot line is about
a Rabbi who's created a man of clay. Through his spiritual abilities,
he awakens a kind of consciousness in this "non-human"
entity.It's another way in which she examines what it means to
be human.
James DiGiovanna, Former Marvel Comics Editor/Freelance
Writer, on Pre-Raphaelites in Love by Gay Daly. I'm
interested in the Pre-Raphaelites because it's the first avant-garde
art movement where people got together, formed a manifesto, and
created a name for themselves. I think partly it's a response
to the loss of community around them. So they create their own
artificial community--they call it a brotherhood--and they attempt
to acquire meaning in their lives by adherence to the principles
of that brotherhood. This particular book is a lighter study of
them. It discusses their lives, how they deal with their girlfriends
and boyfriends. They have a very asceticised approach to romance.
For example, one of them attempts to live as though he were Dante
and his beloved was Beatrice, so he tries not to approach her
too closely, he keeps his distance. Another wants to have a marriage
based on Biblical principles he's drawn out of his own ascetic
reading of the Bible. So they have these very perverse and odd
relationships as a result of applying artistic ideals to their
lives. In a sense, they founded the notion of living your life
as an artwork, that all the aspects of your life should be ascetic.
