Friday, May 14, 2010

Adjunct professor recommends Moore's work

Today Matt Carolan posts recommendations for his philosophy and mythology students in "Oft-Mentioned Resources for my Students" on his blog Psychopompadour. He includes the work of Thomas Moore and Moore's mentor, James Hillman. After recommending Moore's book, Dark Nights of the Soul, Carolan writes, "I have taught the mythology class unconsciously using Moore's expanded idea of the "liminal" experience and rites of passage; both he and I being heavily influenced by the work of anthropologist Victor Turner. All of life contains times of disorientation, sometimes at intense levels. This is not theoretical darkness. It is unique darkness for your own life, and it will hurt. From this idea and experience I have formulated my own humble notion of "generative darkness," into which we reach as we stand at its perimeter, to pull out as if from a grab bag, some great gift for the next phase of our life." Check out Carolan's complete list for additional references.