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Archive Number 4256 | ||
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Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2005 21:19:58 -0800
MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit How I loved that woman and her voice. I miss her. I recently heard a presentation she delivered last March. In that she was asked something along the lines of... "What was one of the biggest cultural changes you have witnessed taking place in our society within the last 25 years?" She thought for a while -- and then responded -- "... the concerted and cynical effort to put down any expression or emergence of idealism." I think she was "on" to something! I later recalled that FDR once commented -- "The only thing real is what is ideal." But then again, he was a reader and student of literature which provides such insights into the human yearning and condition. So be it! Cheers and blessing to all! Jeffrey Courion www.powerofstory.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dvora Shurman" To: Sent: Friday, January 28, 2005 8:54 PM Subject: Re: Susan Sontag, her words as timely as ever > Just read Barbara Kingsolver's book, Poisonwood Bible, required reading to > understand Susan Sontag. > > Dvora Shurman > following stories around the world > ----- Original Message ----- > From: > To: > Sent: Friday, January 28, 2005 10:01 PM > Subject: Susan Sontag, her words as timely as ever > > > > Dear friends, > > > > This appeared in my local paper on January 2, 2004. I saved it to reread > > and > > I think it is worth sharing, I hope you do too. > > > > Warm wishes, > > Karen > > > > Susan Sontag, 1933-2004 > > > > Editor's note: With the death of Susan Sontag at age 71 last week, America > > has lost one of its more thoughtful intellectuals. In honor of Sontag, we > > publish the author's words upon receiving an honorary degree at Vassar > > College in > > Poughkeepsie, N.Y. in May 2003. > > > > Despise violence. Despise national vanity and self-love. Protect the > > territory of conscience. > > > > Try to imagine at least once a day that you are not an American. Go even > > further: try to imagine at least once a day that you belong to the vast, > > the > > overwhelming majority of people on this planet who don't have passports, > > don't live > > in dwellings equipped with both refrigerators and telephones, who have > > never > > even once flown in a plane. > > > > Be extremely skeptical of all claims made by your government. Remember, it > > may not be the best thing for America or for the world for the president > > of the > > United States to be the president of the planet. Be just as skeptical of > > other > > governments, too. > > > > It's hard not to be afraid. Be less afraid. > > It's good to laugh a lot, as long as it doesn't mean you're trying to kill > > your feelings. > > Don't allow yourself to be patronized, condescended to -- which, if you > > are a > > woman, happens, and will continue to happen, all the time. > > > > Do stuff. Be clenched, curious. Not waiting for inspiration's shove or > > society's kiss on your forehead. Pay attention. It's all about paying > > attention. > > It's all about taking in as much of what's out there as you can, and not > > letting > > the excuses and the dreariness of some of the obligations you'll soon be > > incurring narrow your lives. Attention is vitality. It connects you with > > others. It > > makes you eager. Stay eager. > > > > You'll notice that I haven't talked about love. Or about happiness. I've > > talked about becoming -- or remaining --the person who can be happy, a lot > > of the > > time, without thinking that being happy is what it's all about. It's not. > > It's > > about becoming the largest, most inclusive, most responsive person you can > > be. > > > > > > > > This story appeared on Page B2 of The Standard-Times on January 2, 2005. > > http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/01-05/01-02-05/b02op025.htm > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To Unsubscribe from Healingstory send the message: unsubscribe healingstory > to: listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu > ------------------------------- > ------------------------------- To Unsubscribe from Healingstory send the message: unsubscribe healingstory to: listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu ------------------------------- | ||