Dear Reader,
New moon today. In the words of W.H. Auden, the world could use a wash and a week’s rest.
Or at least, I could.
Tuesday I am finishing up a class on Gertrude Stein. It was a new class for me and I was curious how it would go. I’m not a fan of her work, really, but I am a fan of what you can do with her work in the classroom. Reading Tender Buttons aloud together, reworking the lines, reading, rereading, really moves you into language itself.
Tomorrow, I’m finishing a short introductory course on Walter Benjamin and will be talking about the Theses on the Concept of History. I am thinking about weak messianism a lot right now.
In June: Rilke. Poetics as vocation.
Just opened. You can sign-up here.
It feels timely and right to be reading Rilke now.
And here, next month, we’ll be reading Hermann Broch’s The Death of Virgil.
Invitation incoming.
For your Sunday, e.e. cummings:
Rilke:
More Rilke:
Until soon,
Sam
The Rilke is particularly gorgeous.
The Rilke is utterly amazing, especially the second poem. It made me shiver read it. I may have to collect cans to take the BISR course.