Christ & Shame

Education is the slow and steady but also sometimes sudden overcoming of deferential fear.

That’s what I think it is, but I wouldn’t claim to be an expert.

I’ve met some amazing people in my years of attempting education. One of my favorites is the artist Will Maddoxx. We met in a classroom almost four years ago. And since then, we’ve covered a lot of material: Octavia Butler, Jeannette Winterson, biblical passages, Lewis Hyde, Beck and Radiohead videos, at least a little bit of Michel de Certeau, and a whole lot of poetry.

I came into class one day and saw that Will had written a word on the board in such a way that I’ll never look at (or hear) that word in the same way ever again. I wish I’d taken a picture. That opportunity is, I suppose, lost forever, but I’m going to try to set it in motion again by reproducing what I can recall of what I saw.

Isn’t that something? I know it was erased at some point, so the above image might be all that remains of CULTure.

In class, Will Maddoxx appeared among us as one upon whom nothing is lost. His open-ended questions took us down one unexpected path after another. I like to remind everyone that the Bible can’t say any more than Queen’s Greatest Hits Volume II. Will went one further. He said unto his grandmother: “Saying ‘the Bible says’ is like saying ‘Star Wars says ‘Luke, I am your father.’”

Will is also a noticer supreme. He took a picture of this after I wrote it on the board one day.

This is a helpful formulation I purloined from my son, Sam, when he was perhaps twelve-years-old.

Will also did a lovely thing with my dissertation title. Observe.

So anyway, Will and I are talking and are going to keep on talking and you can come hear us talk and also talk to us this Saturday at Six in the PM at the Elephant in North Nashville.

Will is someone who knows how to throw the ball back. With creativity and compassion and disarming self-respect, Will keeps life and love and meaning in play. Join us.

UPDATE: You can watch and even weigh in here. We are a beginning.