Joseph Campbell
When I was talking with Michael Toms at New Dimensions radio in California he made several mentions of Joseph Campbell, whom he’d known very well, and kindly inscribed a copy of his book of conversations with Campbell. I’ve been reading it.
Now I’m reading it again, it’s so exciting. In his conversations Campbell was so much more accessible than I’ve ever found him before - perhaps because Michael knew what questions to ask, as few had done before. And it’s delicious stuff, because Campbell, with all his deep knowledge of world cultures, is saying some very similar things to those that I explore in “Stories”. Campbell’s reach is greater, of course, yet he doesn’t seem to particularly focus on the evidence of six archetypes as relayed to us in the Western Canon’s literature. Perhaps he felt it was too prescriptive. Yet again and again he points out that the role of the poet is to articulate the myths that we live, even if we can’t quite spell them out, and thus to keep us in touch with the mythic structures of our lives. The poets are, therefore, one of the primary sources of valuable mythic material.
It’s a hard task trying to talk about this when everyone else seems to be worried about the price of gasoline, to the exclusion of any thoughts about their own souls.
I’m thrilled, though, to find such validation (even if indirect) for the work I’m doing. I wish Campbell were still alive so I could try out my ideas on him. I’m sure he’d have plenty of good things to add.
on May 7th, 2008 at 10:20 am
As would Paul John Eakin have good things to add to your ideas — and he is still alive.
Eakins, is the author of a few books on autobiography.)
In one of them I came across the idea that to do psychoanalysis, one must return to the orphan-stage in order to revise one’s story — so to speak. (Those aren’t quite his words but I think it’s what he means.)
That idea got me to thinking about your book and our own stories in memoir. You provide us variations on a theme.
Might it not be true that the primary value of memoir to the memoirist is not the publishable book but the new persona born of the effort of revising one’s life and - only after that effort - or to reinforce the work - then recreating these steps to a revised self in a sroty–narrative? In other words, it’s the new self that’s the primary gain and the book a secondary gain.
Your archetypes can function in this inside-out-way to provide the memoirist benchmarks.
Thius the autobiographer can review the journey by revisiting your archetypes to see the path traveled and evaluate the story he/she has told.
I think you’ve already told us this and I’m only now catching on, right?
MLou
on May 7th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Dear Mary Lou,
That’s exactly right. The recognitions we make as a result of going into memoir can only arise if we go through all the six stages as we write, and the new way we can see ourselves as a result is at least half the reward. If we’ve done a good job we can convey the experience to the reader, and thus become a Magician.
In Orphan stage we discover our wounds, and feel their pain. We then explore these wounds as Pilgrims, and as Warriors we decide to transform the pain into meaning. The pain now becomes the gold. Communicating that the gold exists is the Monarch’s job. And so we take our experience and see it as existing in stages, yet it’s not until we see it that way and live those stages as we write it that we can complete the stages ourselves.
Fun, isn’t it?
Allan
on May 7th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
Dear Allan and Mary Lou,
I have just requested the Michael Toms book from the library. Looking forward to reading it. I loved the Bill Moyers tv series with Joseph Campbell. I loved just looking at Campbell’s face during the discussions - he was clearly radiant with peace at that stage of his life.
Although I must admit I sometimes found the discussions beyond my scope of knowledge. But then again that is why we seek out new experiences and read new books - to be challenged and stretched.
Also Interested in your comments about the transformative power of writing memoir. I have arrived at the end of my first rough( very rough) draft and realize how much the process has changed me. I’ve had quite a few aha moments about why I needed to put this story on paper. I guess I realize that although I am not finished with the writing itself, I have come to a point where I have found some closure emotionally - and am really happy with as MaryLou put it my “new persona” !!!
. I am momentarily resting with this lovely feeling of being at peace with my story.
And then on to the rewrite….
Peace and Blessings,
Jean
on May 8th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Dear Jean,
I’m going to reply to your comments here because I feel they’re too interesting to be kept private as would be the case if I sent you a private email. First of all, I’m thrilled you’ve finished your first draft. Excellent!!
You are so right when you write about the result of producing a first draft, too. When we do that, and when we’ve paid attention to what the writing has required of us in terms of reassessing our lives, we move into a different relationship to our own sense of self. The impulse to write is almost always the positive use of ‘Orphan’ stage, and the actual writing requires us to be Pilgrims, Warrior-Lovers (as we seek to understand and not to condemn) and then we become Monarchs as we see the whole sweep of our lives in relation to other lives. Communicating that to others requires us to venture towards the Magician’s realm.
Now, finishing a first draft, knowing that something has changed for us, is important. If nothing had changed we wouldn’t have discovered anything, and so we’d never have completed pilgrim stage. You see that in the self-serving memoirs of some political hacks. It is in the recognition of that change in ourselves, of knowing we’ve been somewhere important, that we see we too have been in the company of Magicians - those who change the energy of a situation. And the Magician was ourselves.
I hope this makes some sense…
As ever, Allan
on May 9th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Dear Allan,
I love the idea of the Magician who changes the energy of a situation.IT is so key in all our lives - to know it is possible to change the energy in our lives, to look at things in a new light, to see with new eyes. I keep coming back to the same theme, but it is so vital to know that we really can bring about change in our lives and the lives of others.
I’ve come back to the idea that my story is about the moments and people who saved/changed my life at pivotal points. I am so grateful that I have taken the time to pay attention to those people, those moments.
With a peaceful smile,
Jean
on May 10th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Dear Jean,
YES!! The Magician in us is that part of us that can change the energy so that it doesn’t have to be the same old same old. I knew that you’d get that right away (after all, yoga is in part about being able to observe oneself so that one doesn’t fall into the repeated thinking patterns) and it seems to me it’s such a valuable thing to recognize. That’s what I understand by moments of change - pivotal moments - as you say.
Yours with a very happy smile, Allan
on May 11th, 2008 at 2:30 am
Thanks for sharing all of the above!
MLou