This discussion will be accompanied by a critical view of conventional ideas of culture and of education, of the ways that vision has been narrowed and of creativity stunted in us all. We will also look at the destructive effect of splitting nature from spirit. Among the questions we will pose to ourselves, both personally and philosophically, is "What are the true sources of meaning?" Students will be encouraged to look at contemporary issues in this light, everything from abortion rights to the 2000 election, the right to clean air and water to what modern movies and music are saying.
We will also look at the ways that both women and men have refused the
traditional and distorting roles assigned them. We will explore the ways
that, throughout history, the understanding of the deep meaningfulness
of nature has been preserved and deepened into cultural forms like poetry,
art, and music. We will also explore the ways that we have found to preserve
this understanding in our own lives. One of the aims of our time together
will be to free the imagination. We will be encouraged to make unconventional
associations and connections, to follow subtle leanings of the mind, to
trust the often unheard musical language of consciousness, to honor the
depth of our relationships with nature. There will be some writing, some
meditation and reflection, some dreaming, reading, and much talking.
Susan Griffin is one of the finest and most respected feminist theorists and writers in the world. She is also a poet, essayist, lecturer, teacher, playwright, and filmmaker. She has written more than 20 books -- including Woman and Nature: The Roaring Inside Her, Pornography and Silence: Culture's Revenge Against Nature, and A Chorus of Stones: The Private Life of War. She has received numerous grants and awards and we're honored to welcome this distinguished theorist, visionary, and activist on her first visit to Rowe.