On Love

In his book, The Art of Loving, philosopher Erich Fromm writes:

"The first step is to become aware that love is an art, just as living is an art; if we want to learn how to love we must proceed in the same way we have to proceed if we want to learn any other art, say music, painting, carpentry, or the art of medicine or engineering.

Could it be that only those things are considered worthy of being learned with which one can earn money or prestige, and that love, which "only" profits the soul, but is profitless in the modern sense, is a luxury we have no right to spend much energy on?"

On her excellent blog Unlocking the Classroom, Lizzie Hetzer posts a 5-part series on radical love as an aspect of our teaching practice. If you haven't read it yet, you should.

Lest We Forget

The Association of Teaching Artists (ATA) is a non-profit professional organization whose mission is to strengthen and serve Teaching Artists from all disciplines in New York State. The Association of Teaching Artists strives to create a community of professional Teaching Artists by: Empowering the practice of Teaching Artists' as a profession; Providing a network for communication and the exchange of resources; Shaping the field of Arts in Education; Providing advocacy, training, and professional development; Publicly recognizing distinguished achievement.

Video: Martin Luther King Jr. on Love and Non-Violence

Also: Marvin Gaye - Everybody Needs Love

A Good Teacher

Even though John Dewey never had to walk through a metal detector to go teach a workshop, I think some of his writings on education remain useful for professional teaching artists to consider. I wonder what Mr. Dewey would say about a school system that daily requires thousands of young people of color to submit their bodies to inspection; surrendering their shoes, belts, jewelry and dignity before they are allowed to learn?

Reading: Dewey's Moral Philosophy @ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Excerpt: Preoccupation with the Disconnected

by John Dewey

The following is a talk given by Dewey to the New York Academy of Medicine, 1928.

The very problem of mind and body suggests division; I do not know of anything so disastrously affected by the habit of division as this particular theme. In its discussion are reflected the splitting off from each other of religion, morals and science; the divorce of philosophy from science and of both from the arts of conduct. The evils which we suffer in education, in religion, in the materialism of business and the aloofness of "intellectuals" from life, in the whole separation of knowledge and practice--all testify to the necessity of seeing mind-body as an integral whole.

The division in question is so deep-seated that it has affected even our language. We have no word by which to name mind-body in a unified wholeness of operation. For if we said "human life" few would recognize that it is precisely the unity of mind and body in action to which we were referring. Consequently, when we endeavor to establish this unity in human conduct, we still speak of body and mind and thus unconsciously perpetuate the very division we are striving to deny.

Read more...

The Charter For Compassion

In 2008, writer Karen Armstrong won the Technology Entertainment Design (TED) Prize. During her speech, she wished for something she called a "Charter for Compassion." The Charter, which was drafted by a "multi-national council of thinkers", was unveiled on November 12th of this year.

The full text is below:

The Charter For Compassion

24903 have affirmed so far. A call to bring the world together…

The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.

We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.

Individuals may choose to affirm the Charter by signing their name.

Quiet Riot

When I am in need of thoughts on meaning-making education, the arts and/or social change, I visit Unlocking the Classroom, because it is written by a teaching artist who does just that.

This week, the third post in a series on love, and a Zora Neal Hurston qoute introduces a documentary on dance.

Most wonderful.

Radical Love

Over at Unlocking the Classroom, I am following a series on Friere and the concept of love, as it relates to doing the work of a Teaching Artist.

In my experience, when someone starts talking about love in the classroom, people get nervous--which is kind of the point of the essay:

How appropriate is it that we, as teaching artists, theatre practitioners, actors, and educators explore and create our own vocabulary of love? Or are we too, ashamed of something that appears to be too gushy, silly, or emotional?"

I write this paper is because I want to know what love means for Freire, other educators, and me. Perhaps my exploration of my own definition of love will help you to agree, disagree, and ponder the meaning and concept of love within your own educational practice.

Must read.

Glue

An article by Natalie Angier in the New York Times says that babies display many of the complex interpersonal skills that distinguish us from the other monkeys.

The story, titled "In a Helpless Baby, the Roots of Our Social Glue", goes on to argue that human parents with infants in tow needed help from others and, in order to care for their offspring, our ancestors were basically forced to learn how to get along. Ms. Angier points out that persuading "a bunch of smart, hot-tempered, suspicious, politically cunning primates to start sharing child care and provisionings...took a novel evolutionary development, the advent of this thing called trust."

In his classic book "The Art of Loving", psychologist Erich Fromm defines love as a skill and set of learned behaviors, which is more inspiring than it sounds.

Fromm writes:

Love of the helpless, the poor and the stranger, are the beginning of brotherly love. To love ones flesh and blood is no achievement. The animal loves its young and cares for them. Only in the love of those who do not serve a purpose, does love begin to unfold.

Nothing you can do that can't be done

Obstacles to travel and study these days include war without end and the devaluation of the dollar.

On the other hand, people are surprising.

NY Times
Frugal Traveler: Q&A with Leon Logothetis, a $5-a-Day Traveler

By Matt Gross

Published: January 13, 2009

The Jerome Foundation Travel and Study Grant Program awards grants to emerging artists who create new work (music: composers and sound artists; theater: playwrights and creators of performance art and experimental theater; and visual artists). Mr. Jerome Hill was a privileged person who could do exactly what he desired with his life because he had money. Beautifully, he thought perhaps he would make that reality possible for other artists.

Money is dyed paper.

Awards are made once per year.

If you want something, you have to ask.

Jump. (pdf application guidelines)

Also: All You Need is Love