I was wondering what you would say about this blue moon and you did not disappoint! Thanks so much for another wonderful piece weaving moonlight into our little human doings.
"Thoreau retreated to the wilderness because the move made him filthy rich: “I have, as it were, my own sun and moon and stars, and a little world all to myself.”
Gorgeous prose on both counts.
And now to Thoreau. Because I too bristle whenever Thoreau's social activities are brought up as some sort of evidence of his insincerity or invalidity or hypocrisy. This is such a staggering fundamental misread of Thoreau that... yeah, that bristly thing.
You know this, but I'll drop it here for anyone who doesn't -- and they are legion, as you also know. Thoreau didn't move to Walden for solitude or self-reliance. The self-reliance thing was Emerson's, the solitude thing was neither of theirs. And no one's in 1855 Concord, which was one of the most vibrant and connected creative communities in modern history.
Even with space a premium, Thoreau found room for three chairs in his little house. "one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society." He frequently entertained guests, lived walking distance to Concord, and railed about the train that passed not that far from his front door. Walden is strewn with stories about people walking by who dropped in for conversation. Walden is not isolated. It's not a hermit's hut in the woods nor was it intended to be.
What Thoreau wanted was what you pointed out, of course. And what he himself tells us he wanted in that famous prologue -- "“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
He warned us of the cost of not doing this. Did we listen? No. Which is why we now look to the moon, having fucked up this go-round on earth.
A fascinating article traversing several paths of my own life, poetry, caretaking, questions about how we organize our communities in various spaces, and architecture as an expression of our perceptions of ourselves in a world of "others." I love the beautiful names for the moons. They are present in more than one of my poems. You covered a lot of territory with grace and scientific curiosity. I really enjoy works like this that bridge different facets of life and demonstrate a mind at work. Take care.
Sep 26, 2023·edited Sep 26, 2023Liked by Will Dowd
How beautifully written, and first hand I know the similarity of being limited whether it be on the moon, in the wilderness, or unchosen health challenges. As much as I too wander in the moonlight, and with ease due to my nocturnal nature, I need not the isolation of its residence.
In gaining strength to pick up your own laundry, the new thought challenge might be, “How on Earth did I balance all this in daily life and actually function?” Now I know, I actually was Superwoman.
I’ve come to realize the closest to living on the moon I could ever want is a sweet residence in Manhattan, which can take as long to find as application processing for a lunar apartment. It is the simple life with no need to drive, delis on every corner, and ample laundry services. When I first noticed an architectural plan pitched for a lunar residence, it was near release timing of “ interior landscape plants for indoor air pollution abatement” via NASA in 1989.
Your mom is right. Without you here, we could not read this, and people help the ones they love when they need it. Know that you are loved and have a beautiful Tuesday. Cheers!
gorgeous. i so appreciate your pacing of attention in all stages and states of this thinking and writing. can i ask whatbis it you do for work outside this monthly missive?
Very skilful writing - I like the way you link all those points together.
Your mother is right...
Looking forward to watching Million Dollar Listing: Lunar South Pole on Bravo.
Currently watching the Super Blue Moon rise over the Mediterranean - literally everyone in the restaurant pulled out their camera 🌕
I was wondering what you would say about this blue moon and you did not disappoint! Thanks so much for another wonderful piece weaving moonlight into our little human doings.
Fascinatingly terrifying! 🌝
"Thoreau retreated to the wilderness because the move made him filthy rich: “I have, as it were, my own sun and moon and stars, and a little world all to myself.”
Gorgeous prose on both counts.
And now to Thoreau. Because I too bristle whenever Thoreau's social activities are brought up as some sort of evidence of his insincerity or invalidity or hypocrisy. This is such a staggering fundamental misread of Thoreau that... yeah, that bristly thing.
You know this, but I'll drop it here for anyone who doesn't -- and they are legion, as you also know. Thoreau didn't move to Walden for solitude or self-reliance. The self-reliance thing was Emerson's, the solitude thing was neither of theirs. And no one's in 1855 Concord, which was one of the most vibrant and connected creative communities in modern history.
Even with space a premium, Thoreau found room for three chairs in his little house. "one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society." He frequently entertained guests, lived walking distance to Concord, and railed about the train that passed not that far from his front door. Walden is strewn with stories about people walking by who dropped in for conversation. Walden is not isolated. It's not a hermit's hut in the woods nor was it intended to be.
What Thoreau wanted was what you pointed out, of course. And what he himself tells us he wanted in that famous prologue -- "“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
He warned us of the cost of not doing this. Did we listen? No. Which is why we now look to the moon, having fucked up this go-round on earth.
Anyway, thanks for a beautiful article.
Was so happy and surprised to see you on substack!!!! And you write about the moon too?!?? So so cool 😎
A fascinating article traversing several paths of my own life, poetry, caretaking, questions about how we organize our communities in various spaces, and architecture as an expression of our perceptions of ourselves in a world of "others." I love the beautiful names for the moons. They are present in more than one of my poems. You covered a lot of territory with grace and scientific curiosity. I really enjoy works like this that bridge different facets of life and demonstrate a mind at work. Take care.
Space age or Stone Age? I choose Stone Age. Now, if everyone else could pls kindly F off to the moon..... ☺️🙏
How beautifully written, and first hand I know the similarity of being limited whether it be on the moon, in the wilderness, or unchosen health challenges. As much as I too wander in the moonlight, and with ease due to my nocturnal nature, I need not the isolation of its residence.
In gaining strength to pick up your own laundry, the new thought challenge might be, “How on Earth did I balance all this in daily life and actually function?” Now I know, I actually was Superwoman.
I’ve come to realize the closest to living on the moon I could ever want is a sweet residence in Manhattan, which can take as long to find as application processing for a lunar apartment. It is the simple life with no need to drive, delis on every corner, and ample laundry services. When I first noticed an architectural plan pitched for a lunar residence, it was near release timing of “ interior landscape plants for indoor air pollution abatement” via NASA in 1989.
Your mom is right. Without you here, we could not read this, and people help the ones they love when they need it. Know that you are loved and have a beautiful Tuesday. Cheers!
gorgeous. i so appreciate your pacing of attention in all stages and states of this thinking and writing. can i ask whatbis it you do for work outside this monthly missive?
Thanks for teaching me stuff, Will 🙂
And let your mother help you, Moonpie, it’s what we do. Can’t wait till the next Lunatic Dispatch! 😃
This is beautiful - I always look forward to reading your posts 🌝
Wonderful, Will
Clever stuff, Will. I like the references to Thoreau, and life on the moon. I wonder what he would have thought about current missions in space.
A delight, as always. What a treat to get two full moon missives in one month!