OP-ED by Rafe Martin — Old stories with good lessons. Let me be unequivocally clear about our current politics – I was just re-reading an older book (2002) of mine titled, “The World Before This One.”
It uses Seneca (Iroquois) legends from around Rochester, NY, to create a novel about memory, history, and the power of stories. I’ll be speaking about it via Zoom to a group of middle schoolers next week.
They have been reading the book. What struck me is how clear the old stories really are. The old tales are not simple entertainments — they help us live, actually mapping out the contours of good and bad behavior in our own minds — revealing and embodying the thoughts and actions that help a community survive — and the thoughts and actions that cause harm and bring destruction, so we can see the results of each, and wisely choose.
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All roads lead to the US election Today what is clear is that the orange menace is the resurgence of an archetype — the kind of character you see world-wide in the Old Tales, stories of our Long Ago Time, reminding us of something we’ve had to face as human beings and have had to outgrow and reject, many, many times.
(Why we don’t seem to learn, but must face this again and again every generation, might be a worthwhile question.) He is the Imposter. The false pretender figure, who is Always — and must Always, by the end of the tale — be completely exposed and Thrown Out of
The Story!
Onward! Now is our time.
For those interested in more on the book itself — the noted paper sculptor, Calvin Nicholls, (Google him!) did amazing art for pretty much each chapter: Oh — and my editor back then was Arthur A. Levine — editor and publisher of all the Harry Potter books!
Rafe Martin is an award-winning author and storyteller whose work has been featured in Time, Newsweek, USA Today and the Sunday NYTimes Book Review. He is also an authorized Zen Buddhist teacher (roshi).
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