Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Their Eyes Were Watching God
A hurricane approaches.
When that happens, I always think back to that part of Zora Neal Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God," where the impending storm is palpable, real, terrifying.
The book was not on any reading list at my high school. I was lucky though; when I got to college at William and Mary I took a literature class from a prof who was not that much older than I was, a doctoral candidate at Yale named Joanne Braxton. We read the book, and we talked about it. What she said, what she taught, made me read it again the day after the class-- not something I ever did before or after. I wanted to get it.
Part of that book, and all literature, really, is the ineffability of the deepest relationships we live, which cannot be rationally described but can only be storied into re-existence for those not a part of them. One of those relationships for me continues to be with my mentor, Professor Braxton.
If you live in or near Minneapolis, I have good news: Professor Braxton is coming here. At 12:30 on Friday September 21 she will be speaking at St. Thomas, and then at 9:30 on Sunday Sept. 23 she will be giving the sermon at First Covenant Church in Minneapolis, with a discussion following at 11. I hope that you will come, if you can. There is much to learn.
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Let me echo that. Joanne is an extraordinary woman. Blessed by humility. Full of deep wisdom and engaged spiritualty. A must see.
# posted by 
: 9:51 AM
: 9:51 AM
Don't know Prof. Braxton but wish I could see her. However, your post made me remember one of my favorite quotes - from Zora Neale Hurston: "Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose." No better definition of research exists IMO.
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