Madness at the gates of the city: The myth of American innocence with Barry Spector
This presentation offers a view of American history and culture through the lenses of Greek myth, archetypal psychology and indigenous wisdom. Dionysus was the Greek god of ecstasy, tragedy and madness. But that was long ago. Or was it? After two millennia of Christianity and five centuries of science, Dionysus – or his modern substitutes – persists in our imagination as "the Other." He is everything that America has cast into the shadows: woman, nature, the body and especially race. As such, he provides a unique window into American history and culture, and especially the current political madness.
Early white Americans developed literature, theology and political rhetoric that over time gradually coalesced into narratives of new beginnings, heroic destiny and good intentions. However, these stories veiled deep strains of Puritanism, racism and imperialism, and they utilized the threat of dark strangers – first Indians, witches and slaves, then communists – to provoke our anxieties. After four centuries, fear of the Other, now as terrorists and immigrants, still defines us as "not them."
Mythological thinking provides a broader perspective to understand our political, economic and religious concerns. This presentation includes storytelling and poetry as well as time for conversation.
Barry Spector is a mythologist, author and oral poem teller in the old traditions. He is the author ofMadness At The Gates Of The City: The Myth Of American Innocence, and has published articles inJung Journal: Culture and Psyche. He and his wife Maya perform in The Great Night of Rumi, Rumi’s Caravan and The Great Night of Soul Poetry, regular celebrations of recited poetry and music. Although not a poet himself, Barry feels that the revival of spoken poetry and storytelling is a key to cultural renewal. He and Maya also present Oral Traditions Poetry Salons at their home and conduct an annual Day of the Dead grief ritual in early November.
Doors open at 9:30 a.m.
Free parking in Lots A, D, E, F, J (download campus map)
Comments